title: Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection.
abstract: CMV is an important pathogen for immunocompromised patients. Since such individuals cannot be relied upon to mount appropriate immune responses promptly, methods for detecting virus must be used for diagnosis. Conventional virus isolation is slow and the sensitivity and specificity of a more rapid method using monoclonal antibodies are described. Other potential ways of detecting cytomegalovirus are discussed, including the difficulties of detecting this virus immunochemically in clinical specimens due to its coating of human beta 2-microglobulin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral