title: Latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections affect immunoglobulin levels of patients with thalassemia major.
abstract: The serum levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were measured by radial immunodiffusion in 247 patients with beta-thalassemia major (106 nonsplenectomized and 141 splenectomized) aged between and 5 and 35 years, and in 407 healthy controls. The results were analyzed in relation to the presence of total and/or IgM antibodies against CMV in the sera, as determined by enzyme immunoassay. A statistically significant variation in IgM levels was observed between the seronegatives and the different groups of seropositives (those with recent and those with prior CMV infections) within nonsplenectomized and splenectomized thalassemic patients, as well as within controls. Among seronegative individuals, no significant differences in the levels of immunoglobulins were observed, either between nonsplenectomized and splenectomized thalassemics or between each one of these groups and the controls. On the contrary, when the above mentioned groups of patients and controls appeared with recent or old CMV infections, they presented significantly different levels of immunoglobulins. It is concluded that latent CMV infections are responsible, at least in part, for the disagreement between various published studies concerning the levels of circulating immunoglobulins in patients with thalassemia major.
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Red Cross Thalassemia Unit, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Germenis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Politis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000209:etiology*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013156:Splenectomy; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins