Comparison of specific serological assays for diagnosing human herpesvirus 6 infection after liver transplantation.
Cross-reactivity between human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) antibodies and the reliability of specific serological assays were analyzed for 12 patients with concurrent HHV-6 and HHV-7 antibody responses after transplantation with a liver from a living relative by using an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). A neutralizing antibody titer assay (NT) and an immunoblot assay (IB) designed to detect immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to the HHV-6 immunodominant 101-kDa protein were compared in the diagnosis of an active HHV-6 infection. A total of 9 of 12 patients demonstrated concurrent HHV-6 and HHV-7 antibody responses, including increased IgG titers and/or the presence of IgM by IFA, and were thus analyzed for cross-reactive antibody to heterologous virus. The average percentages of residual antibody to HHV-6 and HHV-7 after absorption with HHV-6 antigen were 32.6% (range, 6 to 50%) and 55.6% (range, 35 to 100%), respectively. All 12 patients were subsequently analyzed for HHV-6 antibody by using IB and NT. IB detected IgM antibody to the 101-kDa protein in 75% (9 of 12) of the recipients. A significant rise in the NT antibody titer was detected in the same nine samples. However, HHV-6 DNA was detected by PCR in only five of nine plasma samples collected from recipients with a specific serologic response against HHV-6.
Yoshikawa
T
T
Department of Pediatrics, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. tetsushi@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Black
J B
JB
Ihira
M
M
Suzuki
K
K
Suga
S
S
Iida
K
K
Saito
Y
Y
Asonuma
K
K
Tanaka
K
K
Asano
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
C082253:101K protein, Human herpesvirus 6; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D014764:Viral Proteins