Monitoring of EBV

Assessment of the EBV viral load through monitoring of EBV viral DNA in consecutive clinical samples has been proposed as a reliable indicator of progressive disease in patients with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). This can be used for early diagnosis and for monitoring the ef?cacy of therapy. Moreover, the EBV viral load is frequently elevated in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the degree of elevation correlates with tumour stage. In AIDS patients amplification of EBV DNA from the cerebrospinal fluid is indicative of brain lymphoma and may be used for monitoring of efficacy of subsequent treatment.

The quantitation of EBV viral load in serum, plasma and peripheral blood leukocytes is used to target high-risk patients and to monitor the response to EBV therapy in the above mentioned group of patients.