Correlation between human cytomegalovirus quantitative p72 antigenemia and viremia.
OBJECTIVE
We present a prospective study of the correlation between the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) quantitative antigenemia with monoclonal antibody to p72 protein (immediate-early antigen) and the number of infected cell foci detected in the shell-vial culture. A comparative study was made of the value of quantitative antigenemia (pp65 and p72) in 14 patients.


RESULTS
The average value of the pp65 antigenemia was 195 pp65-positive PMNLs per 10(5) PMNLs (range 10-1000) and that of the p72, 21 p72-positive PMNLs per 10(5) PMNLs (range 0-120) (P < 0.001). The p72 antigenemia value represented 10.7% of the pp65 value (range 4.4-70%). A statistical correlation was observed between the total number of infected cell foci detected in the shell-vial culture and the total number of p72-positive PMNLs (P < 0.001), but not with the number of pp65-positive PMNLs (P = 0.4). A study of the number of infected cell foci detected in the shell-vial per 100000 PMNLs inoculated showed a statistical correlation with the value of the p72 antigenemia (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
According to results, there seems to be a general population of PMNLs carrying viral particles which are defected by means of the pp65 monoclonal antibody, and a subpopulation carrying active and replicative viral particles which is detected with the p72 antibody. This last subpopulation would be responsible for the formation of infected cell foci in the shell-vial culture. However due to the technical difficulties presented by the routine performance of p72 antigenemia, we recommend the routine application of the quantitative shell-vial culture and the use of the number of infected cell foci x 100000 PMNLs inoculated as a parameter of replicative viral load for the diagnosis of infection and disease caused by HCMV.
Reina
J
J
Virology Unit, University Hospital Son Dureta, Universitat Illes Balears (UIB), Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Blanco
I
I
Munar
M
M
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D014766:Viremia
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa; C044582:immediate-early proteins, cytomegalovirus