Monitoring of Epstein-Barr virus load and antibody in pediatric renal transplant patients

Background: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection can lead to life‐threatening post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). The aim of the present study was to establish EBV monitoring methods to prevent PTLD. Methods: EBV‐DNA load was investigated, using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and anti‐EBV antibody titers, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 21 renal transplant patients (seven recipients who were EBV‐seronegative, R[−]; 14 who were EBV‐seropositive, R[+]) before grafting. The mean age at entry and the mean follow‐up period was 7.8 years of age (range, 3.3–12.0 years) and 1.8 years (range, 0.4–4.0 years), respectively, in the R(−) group, and 12.5 years of age (range, 3.9–17.7 years) and 3.8 years (range, 0.8–8.2 years) in the R(+) group, respectively. Results: The mean maximum load of the EBV genome was 1071 copies/μg DNA (range, 106–20700 copies/μg DNA) in the R(−) group, and 61 copies/μg DNA (range,