Objective: To explore the effect of CMV gB genotypes on viral load and treatment time in patients with CMV infection after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Methods: Viral load was detected by real-time (RT) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Q-PCR), CMV gB genotypes by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) (PCR-RFLP) in 115 patients with CMV infection (CMV-DNA positive) after HSCT during July 2004 and May 2010.
Results: (1) The distribution of CMV gB genotypes in HSCT recipients were as following: gB1, 42/115 (36.52%); gB2, 3/115 (2.61%); gB3, 43/115 (37.39%); gB4, 2/115 (1.74%). 20 patients (17.39%) had a combination of 2 different CMV genotypes and 5 patients (4.35%) had a CMV variant that lacked an RsaI digestion site, herein named gB5. (2) The median viral load were 2.7×10(3)(1.81×10(3) ∼ 6.03×10(4)) in gB1, 4.0×10(3) (1.32×10(3) ∼ 6.39×10(4)) in gB3 and 1.2×10(4)(2.28×10(3) ∼ 6.50×10(5)) in mixed gB. There was no statistical difference in viral load between gB1 and gB3 (P > 0.050). There was significantly statistical difference in viral load between single-gB (gB1 or gB3) and mixed-gB (P < 0.05). (3) The median treatment time was 17 days in mixed-gB and 14 days in single-gB. There was significantly statistical difference between two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion gB genotype may have an impact on CMV DNA load and treatment time in HSCT recipients with CMV infection.