e-Article
Methyl-qPCR: a new method to investigate Epstein–Barr virus infection in post-transplant lymphoproliferative diseases.
Document Type
Article
Author
Source
Subject
*EPSTEIN-Barr virus
*EPSTEIN-Barr virus diseases
*LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE disorders
*VIRAL genomes
*VIRAL load
*DNA viruses
*VIRAL DNA
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Language
ISSN
1868-7075
Abstract
Epstein–Barr virus DNA viral load is used as a surrogate marker to start Rituximab in transplant recipients at risk of developing PTLD. However, an elevated EBV DNAemia does not discriminate lymphoproliferation and replication. We designed a new molecular assay (methyl-qPCR) to distinguish methylated versus unmethylated viral genomes. In blood, viral genomes were highly methylated in EBV primary infections, PTLD and 4/5 transplant recipients with high viral load. The only patient with under-methylated EBV genomes did not respond to rituximab. Methyl-qPCR is a convenient method to discriminate between latent and lytic EBV genomes and could be useful in treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]