Combined use of sonication and monoclonal antibodies for the detection of early and late cytomegalovirus antigens in centrifugation cultures.
A total of 157 clinical specimens was inoculated into shell vials and conventional tube cell cultures containing confluent monolayers of human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HELF). Of 31 clinical cytomegalovirus (CMV) isolates, 30 specimens (96.8%) were positive by the immunofluorescence method on centrifugation vial cultures (CVC-IF), whereas the cytopathic effects (CPE) of CMV were detected in only 14 specimens (45.2%) in conventional tube cell cultures (CCC), P less than 0.001 and in 22 specimens (70.9%) in centrifugation vial cultures (CVC-P), P less than 0.1. Significantly more fluorescent foci were detected in centrifugation cultures inoculated with sonicated urine samples (P less than 0.001). CVC-P is more sensitive than CCC for the diagnosis of CMV (P less than 0.05), and a highly significant difference was observed when we compared the mean day to initial detection of CPE (P less than 0.001). For optimal detection of CMV, both CVC-IF and CVC-P should be used for the laboratory diagnosis of this virus infection.
Agha
S A
SA
Department of Medical Microbiology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, U.K.
Coleman
J C
JC
Selwyn
S
S
Mahmoud
L A
LA
Abd-Elaal
A M
AM
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002498:Centrifugation; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D013010:Sonication
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus