| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3369956 | Journal of Clinical Virology | 2008 | 5 Pages |
BackgroundOptimal automated molecular methods are needed to monitor Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infections in transplant recipients.ObjectivesTo compare the extraction of EBV DNA from whole blood using the COBAS Ampliprep™ and the MagNA Pure™ instruments (Roche) for quantifying EBV DNA by real-time PCR.Study designEBV DNA content was determined on clinical samples extracted by both systems.ResultsThe detection limit was 2.16 log10 copies/mL using the COBAS Ampliprep™ extraction system. Specificity was 100% and we saw no cross-contamination. Extraction was linear from 2.60 to 5.60 log10 copies/mL. The intra-assay variation was 1.91% for 3.60, 2% for 4.60 and 4.51% for 5.60 log10 copies/mL; inter-assay variation was 4.88%.Sixty-six samples were tested: 26 were positive and 28 were negative by both methods. One sample was MagNA Pure™ positive/COBAS Ampliprep™ negative (virus load 3.15 log10 copies/mL) and 10 samples were MagNA Pure™ negative/COBAS Ampliprep™ positive (virus loads from 1.59 to 3.51 log10 copies/mL) (P < 0.0001). Both methods gave similar quantitative results (average difference 0.07 log10 copies/mL) which were well correlated (r = 0.73, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe COBAS Ampliprep™ extraction system is comparable to the MagNA Pure™ and offers a high reliability for extracting EBV DNA from whole blood.
