title: Pattern and persistence of the epitope-specific IgM response against human cytomegalovirus in renal transplant patients.
abstract: The humoral immune response against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was evaluated in immunocompromised patients by Western blotting (WB) based on recombinant viral envelope (gB and gH) and tegument (pp150 and pp65) proteins. Three groups of patients were investigated: (a) 74 renal transplant recipients; (b) 24 hemodialysis patients, both groups without clinical evidence of viral infections; and (c) 19 renal transplant patients with manifest HCMV infections. The results obtained suggest that (i) the WB is considerably more sensitive, recognizing the HCMV-specific IgM response rather than the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. An IgM response was detected in one-third of all clinically asymptomatic renal patients. (ii) The virus-specific IgM response is primarily directed against the pp150 epitope. (iii) In patients with clinically manifest HCMV disease, additional IgM reactivities are most frequently directed against the glycoprotein B epitope. (iv) The severity of HCMV infections correlates with the extent of the IgM antibody response, i.e. with the number of specific epitopes involved. (v) After transplantation, IgM reactivity and its epitope-specific pattern persist for years.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Nephrology, Baldinger Strasse, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gicklhorn
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jungraithmayr
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eickmann
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Radsak
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reschke
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; C065418:cytomegalovirus matrix protein 65kDa