title: Polyclonal cytomegalovirus-specific antibodies not only prevent virus dissemination from the portal of entry but also inhibit focal virus spread within target tissues.
abstract: Therapy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) by immune serum transfer did not fulfill the high clinical expectations, although immune sera or immunoglobulin-enriched preparations pooled from many CMV-immune donors are likely to contain virus neutralizing antibodies covering a broad range of virus variants. Likewise, the highest risk of CMV disease in HSCT recipients results from the reactivation of the latently infected recipient's own virus despite pre-transplantation humoral immunity. These findings suggest the conclusion that antiviral antibodies are inefficient in controlling CMV. Rather than B cells and antibodies, T cells, in particular CD8 T cells, are thought to play a major role in resolving established organ infection. In theory, antibodies, though being capable of neutralizing free virions, could fail to prevent cell-bound virus dissemination from the portal of entry to distant target tissues and also could fail in preventing cell-to-cell spread within tissue. Here we have used murine model systems, including B cell deficient C57BL/6 micro(- ) micro(-) (microMT) mutants, to revisit the role of antiviral antibodies in the control of CMV infection and to reevaluate the prospects of an antibody-based immunotherapy from a basic science point of view.
authors: Institute for Virology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Obere Zahlbacher Strasse 67, Hochhaus am Augustusplatz, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors: Nikolaus
authors: N
authors: Wirtz
authors: Sina I
authors: SI
authors: Schader
authors: Rafaela
authors: R
authors: Holtappels
authors: Christian O
authors: CO
authors: Simon
authors: Niels A W
authors: NA
authors: Lemmermann
authors: Matthias J
authors: MJ
authors: Reddehase
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Podlech
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009500:Neutralization Tests
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral