title: Longitudinal study of cytomegalovirus antibodies in individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody profiles were studied in 25 HIV-infected patients over periods of up to 56 months. Specific antibodies against CMV antigen components were monitored by complement-fixation (CF) test, EIA, Western blot and a neutralization assay. Three subjects remained CMV seronegative throughout the study. Marked fluctuations were observed in anti-CMV antibodies assayed by the CF test as compared to a control group. Fluctuations on immunoblots of purified virion antigens were also observed in the HIV-infected patients; neutralizing antibodies and anti-CMV nucleocapsid antibodies showed less variability. Seven of 22 individuals exhibited an increase in CF-test titre of up to 64-fold without clinically apparent CMV disease. On Western-blot testing of IgG reactivity with disrupted virions, ten individuals exhibited increasing reactivity to pp65, and only three of these also showed a titre rise in the CF test. In contrast, 7 of 22 showed low reactivity to the pp28 antigen. The homosexual patient group exhibited the highest levels of anti-CMV antibody. In conclusion, many asymptomatic HIV-infected subjects showed fluctuations at different levels of their antibody response to CMV, thought to be indicative of CMV reactivation/reinfection. Western-blot findings indicated that some CMV antibodies increased in level while others were lost.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department B, Haukeland Hospital, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Flø
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haukenes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Skjaerven
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forsgren
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Fehniger
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M