title: Pattern of anti-cytomegalovirus IgM antibodies determined by immunoblotting. A study of kidney graft recipients developing a primary or recurrent CMV infection.
abstract: In order to improve the knowledge of the humoral immune response to CMV infection, we developed an immunoblotting technique which allowed a better analysis of the changes in the pattern of anti CMV-polypeptides IgM. We examined 234 sera belonging to 27 renal allograft recipients developing a primary or recurrent CMV infection and 12 non infected recipients. Thus we found that 11 main anti CMV-polypeptides IgM antibodies were present in over 25% of the infected patients. They reacted with proteins whose molecular weights ranged from 32K to 205K. We showed that anti-p 45-47 IgM antibodies were present in 100% of CMV infected recipients and never in the non-infected population. They appeared very early in the course of the infection (5.43 weeks post-graft for primary infection and 5.00 weeks for recurrent ones) and, therefore, constitute a good marker of active infection. Two other CMV-specific IgM antibodies (anti-p 60-64 and anti-p 100) were found exclusively in the course of primary infections. Anti-p 60-64 IgM was observed at a high frequency (57.1%) and with a mean delay of 6.57 weeks post-graft. Therefore, the anti-p 60-64 IgM detection could be helpful for the diagnosis of primary infection. In almost 100% of both primary and recurrent infections, we observed anti-p 140 and anti-p 38 IgM antibodies. Only about 50% of non-infected patients had low levels of anti-p 140 and anti-p 38 IgM. The follow-up of recurrent infections showed that the anti CMV-polypeptides IgM antibodies appeared earlier than in primary infection. When we compared anti-p 45-47 IgM detection by immunoblotting and anti-CMV IgM detected by ELISA we observed that immunoblotting permitted the diagnosis 2.5 weeks earlier for primary infection, and 1 week earlier for recurrent infection, than ELISA. In addition, the detection of anti-p 45-47 IgM antibodies also occurred earlier than virus excretion.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basson
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tardy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aymard
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D007075:Immunoglobulin M