Quantiferon-CMV test in prediction of cytomegalovirus infection after kidney transplantation.

Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed patients, including organ and bone marrow transplant recipients. The majority of CMV disease is caused by reactivation of alatent infection rather that by newly acquired virus. Many techniques have been currently available to aid in the diagnostics of CMV disease. In this report we performed a prospective evaluation of Quantiferon-CMV assay (Cellestis) to determine whether the test is predictive of CMV disease. CD8+ T-cell CMV-specific immunity was assessed in a longitudinal cohort of 14 kidney transplant recipients. According to our data, subjects with higher cellular immune response measured with Quantiferon test had a lower risk of manifestation of CMV infection than subjects with lower responses. Despite the small number of patients and large intra- and interindividual variability of the data in the study, we observed the Quantiferon-CMV assay to be a sensitive specific test to detect a virus-specific T-cell response. We propose that this assay in combination with viral DNA load estimates may prove to be useful to stratify patients at risk of CMV disease.

Micromodification of virus-neutralisation assay with vital staining in 96-well plate and its use in diagnostics of Tahyna virus infections.

Virus neutralization test (VNT) is considered to be the gold standard for arbovirus serology because of its high specificity and sensitivity. Its micromodification in 96-well plate with vital staining of cell cultures was developed in the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Arboviruses of the Czech Republic and is used for the detection of specific antibodies against various viruses, mainly arboviruses. The test procedure is described for the Tahyna virus micromodified neutralization assay in 96-well plate. Results of an anti-Tahyna antibody survey conducted among the population of northern Moravia using the VNT assay are presented. The overall anti-Tahyna seroprevalence among 1001 tested persons was 3.80%. The highest positivity rate was found in persons aged over 59 years (17.53%) comparing to children with the seroprevalence rates of 0.00% and 0.56% in the age groups 0-5 years and 6-14 years, respectively.

[Experience with serological diagnosis of chikungunya fever]. / Zkusenosti se sérologickou diagnostikou horecky chikungunya.

BACKGROUND: During the year 2006 first imported cases of chikungunya fever in Europe occured contextual to the epidemic in the area of Indian ocean. In summer 2007 also autochthonnic chikungunya infections in the northern part of Italy appeared. On the basis of these facts serologic diagnostics of chikungunya fever was initiated in the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Arboviruses of the Czech Republic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Complement-fixation assay was estabilished in 2006. Micromodification of virus-neutralisation assay in 96-well plate with staining of the cell cultures for detection of anti-chikungunya v. antibodies was developed and estabilished for improvement of the diagnostics in 2007. Consequently in 2008 the diagnostics was completed with indirect immunofluorescence assay for detection of anti-chikungunya v. IgG and IgM antibodies using the commercial EUROIMMUN assay. Principle of virus-neutralisation and the test procedure is described in the paper. Results reached by the use of all these methods are compared. RESULTS: From February 2006 to February 2008 110 serum samples from 104 persons were tested for anti-chikungunya v. antibodies. In 4 pateints acute chikungunya v. infection was proved and two other persons revealed seropositivity without acute infection. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative correspondence between the particular methods was demonstrated and a benefit of virus-neutralisation assay for confirmation of the results was proved.

[The first case of imported infection of Chikungunya virus in the Czech Republic]. / První prukaz importované infekce virem Chikungunya v Ceské republice.

The authors describe the first confirmed case of tropical fever caused by Chikungunya virus imported into the Czech Republic. As the virus belonging to the Alphavirus genus of the Togaviridae family is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes it is classified as an arbovirus. A 43-year-old woman became ill following her arrival from the island of Mauritius where she had stayed during an epidemic. The patient presenting with typical symptoms of the disease recovered completely. Chikungunya virus as the etiological agent was confirmed serologically by the complement fixation reaction in the Czech National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses.