BACKGROUND: Quantitation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA using real-time PCR has been utilized for monitoring CMV infection. However, the CMV antigenemia assay is still the 'gold standard' assay. There are only a few studies in Korea that compared the efficacy of use of real-time PCR for quantitation of CMV DNA in whole blood with the antigenemia assay, and most of these studies have been limited to transplant recipients. METHOD: 479 whole blood samples from 79 patients, falling under different disease groups, were tested by real-time CMV DNA PCR using the Q-CMV real-time complete kit (Nanogen Advanced Diagnostic S.r.L., Italy) and CMV antigenemia assay (CINA Kit, ArgeneBiosoft, France), and the results were compared. Repeatedly tested patients were selected and their charts were reviewed for ganciclovir therapy. RESULTS: The concordance rate of the two assays was 86.4% (Cohen's kappa coefficient value=0.659). Quantitative correlation between the two assays was a moderate (r=0.5504, P<0.0001). Among 20 patients tested repeatedly with the two assays, 13 patients were transplant recipients and treated with ganciclovir. Before treatment, CMV was detected earlier by real-time CMV DNA PCR than the antigenemia assay, with a median difference of 8 days. After treatment, the antigenemia assay achieved negative results earlier than real-time CMV DNA PCR with a median difference of 10.5 days. CONCLUSIONS: Q-CMV real-time complete kit is a useful tool for early detection of CMV infection in whole blood samples in transplant recipients.
Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; Cytomegalovirus/*genetics ; Cytomegalovirus Infections/drug therapy/pathology/virology ; DNA, Viral/*blood/metabolism ; Ganciclovir/therapeutic use ; Humans ; *Immunoassay ; Organ Transplantation ; Phosphoproteins/genetics/immunology/*metabolism ; *Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Viral Matrix Proteins/genetics/immunology/*metabolism ; Virology/*methods

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by two or more tumors of the parathyroid gland, duodenum-pancreas, and anterior pituitary. Membranous nephropathy is the most common manifestation of paraneoplastic glomerulopathy. However, minimal change disease in patients with MEN 1 has yet to be reported. Here, we report a case of minimal change disease in a 59-year-old man with MEN 1, along with a review of the relevant literature.

Peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis is a major cause of technical failure in peritoneal dialysis. The major pathogen is gram positive bacteria, and other main pathogens include gram negative bacteria, mixed infection and fungal infection actively involved in the order named. Coagulate-negative Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus cause most of the gram positive bacterial infections, and cases with other pathogens are very rare. We hereby report a case of peritonitis by Listeria Monocytogenes that was not responsive to the usual antibiotics for CAPD-associated peritonitis. A 58-year-old male who has been treated with CAPD for 17 years visited our hospital for abdominal pain, fever and turbid peritoneal fluid. He was diagnosed as diabetes mellitus 20 years ago. White blood cell and neutrophil count increased at the initial peritoneal fluid analysis, so we diagnosed him as CAPD-associated peritonitis. Antibiotic therapy was initiated with intraperitoneal injections of cefazolin/tobramycin, which were soon changed to vancomycin/ceftazidime. However, vancomycin/ceftazidime regimen was also proven ineffective. On the sixth hospital day, L. Monocytogenes was cultured in the peritoneal fluid sampled on the first visiting day. So we accordingly changed the antibiotics for ampicillin/sulbactam, which led to clinical and laboratory improvement. In the cases of CAPD associated peritonitis in immunosuppressive patients such as the elderly, caused either by diabetes or by taking immunosuppressive agent, if they do not respond to the usual antibiotics, we should consider the possible infection by unusual pathogens. Gram positive rod in peritoneal fluid is a supporting evidence of peritonitis by L. monocytogenes.
Male ; Humans