title: Sero-epidemiological investigations on human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infections using a newly developed early antigen assay.
abstract: Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were developed against immunodominant HHV-6 (GS isolate) late and early proteins. The major late protein was identified as a probable glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 110 kDa (gp 110). Immunoblotting of the early antigen yielded proteins of 41 and 38 kDa (p41/38). The MAb to the early protein reacted with cells infected with 14 different HHV-6 isolates. In contrast, the MAb against the late protein reacted with only 10 of these isolates, indicating that there was strain variation in this glycoprotein. The percentage of antibody-positive sera reactive with gp110 in the ELISA ranged from 56% to 96% among the different serum donor categories. In contrast, only 10-30% of the sera were positive for antibodies to p41/38 with the exception of sera from patients with African Burkitt's lymphoma (ABL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD). These antibody patterns denote the presence of active HHV-6 replication in patients with ABL and HD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Georgetown University Medical Center Washington, DC.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iyengar
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ablashi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neequaye
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000386:AIDS-Related Complex / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000382:microbiology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000382:microbiology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012016:Reference Values; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins