title: IgG subclass-specific antibodies to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-induced early antigens.
abstract: We investigated the IgG subclass reactivity pattern to early antigens (EA) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in 217 EA-antibody-positive sera from immunocompetent, healthy persons, renal transplant recipients and AIDS patients by immunoblotting. All IgG subclasses are involved in the IgG immune response to HCMV EA. IgG 1 was the major subclass reacting with HCMV EA (with a molecular mass ranging between 23- and 79-kDa) and was present in all sera irrespective of origin. Antibody responses of IgG isotypes 2, 3 and 4 were observed with lower frequency and reactivity, whereas IgG 3 was detectable more frequently and reacted slightly stronger than IgG 2 and 4. The IgG 1 reactivity pattern was similar to that seen with total IgG. In contrast to total IgG and IgG 1, the reactivity of the sub-classes 2, 3 and 4 was not equally distributed among the early polypeptides, but was mainly directed to some of them (79-, 70-, 66-, 43- and 38-kDa). On average primary infections seem to induce a stronger IgG 3 response to the 79-, 70- and 38-kDa proteins than reactivated infections and an increased IgG 1 to the 79-, 70-, 59-, 56- and 50-kDa proteins appeared to be associated with severe disease. Noteworthy was the significantly lower prevalence of IgG 1 antibodies to the 70-kDa protein in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals when compared to renal transplant recipients and immunocompetent, healthy individuals. Since the IgG 1 immune reaction to this protein occurred five to seven times more frequently in healthy persons and renal transplant recipients, the decreased formation of IgG 1 antibodies to the 70-kDa protein might be a characteristic feature of HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Virology, University Clinics of Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Doerr
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000145:classification*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus