Understanding Viral Load Assays for Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus

System Precision/Imprecision

March 2010

Remember this exercise? If we convert the pairs of values to the log scale, we can see that what seemed to make intuitive sense is supported by the log numbers: If these were viral loads, and we used the 0.5 log interval as a marker of significant change, then we can see that 10 is different than 100, but 500,000 and 500,090 are essentially indistinguishable.

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Jump to section:

• Introduction
• Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus Background
• Patients and Immunosuppression
• CMV in Transplant Patients
• When to Treat CMV?
• CMV Treatment Strategies
• EBV and Posttransplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder
• When to Treat EBV?
• Treatment for EBV Infection or PTLD
• The Balancing Act of Transplant Immunology
• The Balancing Act of Transplant Immunology: Less immunosuppression
• The Balancing Act of Transplant Immunology: More immunosuppression
• The Balancing Act of Transplant Immunology
• Crucial Questions
• Viral Load Assays
• Viral Load Assays, cont.
• Variability
• Ideal Standards
• Comparing Results
• Logarithmic (log) Processes
• Advantages of Logarithmic (log) Numbers
• Integer, Scientific Notation, Logarithm
• Log vs Fold
• Disadvantages of Log
• Remember These?
• System Precision/Imprecision
• What is Significant Change?
• Reality Check
• Literature is Helpful But...
• Interpreting Viral Loads
• Review
• References
• Questions?