title: The lower matrix protein pp65 is the principal viral antigen present in peripheral blood leukocytes during an active cytomegalovirus infection.
abstract: During an active infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), viral antigen is consistently present in peripheral blood leukocytes. Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), CMV-C10 and CMV-C11, are commonly used in the HCMV antigenaemia assay to detect these cells in the peripheral blood of patients suspected of having an active HCMV infection. We demonstrate that the viral antigen detected by these MAbs is the viral structural protein pp65 and not an immediate early antigen as previously reported. Furthermore, significantly fewer leukocytes were found to be positive with MAbs specific for immediate early antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grefte
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: van der Gun
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmolke
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Giessen
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: van Son
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Plachter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: The
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus