Reanalysis of unclear CMV status results from buccal swab samples of potential stem cell donors is an efficient donor registry strategy

Many stem cell donor registries determine the cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG serostatus at donor recruitment as it is an important marker for donor selection in the context of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To make sample collection less uncomfortable for the donor, we have developed a method that allows CMV status determination from buccal swab samples, thus avoiding blood drawing. However, the determination fails in some cases which leads to new donors being listed for donor search without CMV status, thus hindering donor searches. In this work, we evaluated the success rate of repeating CMV status analysis from a new swab. Our results show that about 90% of the samples could be successfully determined. Due to the great importance of the CMV status in donor search, we consider the retesting approach to be highly recommended for stem cell donor registries. •CMV serostatus is an important marker for donor selection in HSCT.•CMV status can be determined from swabs at donor recruitment to avoid blood draws.•If CMV status determination fails retesting from new swabs shows high success rates.•Due to its relevance, CMV retesting is advisable for stem cell donor registries.