CMV PCR Quantitative Test - Viral load by Real time PCR Plasma in Vikhroli

Detection and quantification of cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia in organ transplant patients To Monitor CMV disease progression and response to antiviral therapy; diagnose opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients.

This test is often performed for patients post organ transplantation, having HIV, oncology patients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common and major cause of opportunistic infection in organ transplant recipients, causing significant morbidity and mortality. CMV infection and disease typically occur during the first year after organ transplantation after cessation of antiviral prophylaxis. Such infection usually manifests as fever, leukopenia, hepatitis, colitis, or retinitis. Other manifestations of CMV infection in this population may be more subtle and include allograft injury and loss, increased susceptibility to infections with other organisms, and decreased patient survival (ie, indirect effects). The risk of CMV disease is highest among organ recipients who are CMV seronegative prior to transplantation and receive allografts from CMV-seropositive donors (ie, CMV D+/R- mismatch). The infection is transmitted via latent CMV present in the transplanted organ donor and the virus subsequently reactivates, causing a primary CMV infection in the recipient.Quantification of CMV DNA level in peripheral blood (ie, CMV viral load) is used routinely to determine when to initiate preemptive antiviral therapy, diagnose active CMV disease, and monitor response to antiviral therapy.