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J Clin Microbiol. 1981 October; 14(4): 427-432

Enzyme Immunoassays for Measurement of Cytomegalovirus Immunoglobulin M Antibody

¹ Eudowood Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205

ABSTRACT

The diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is often accomplished by the detection of circulating antibody directed against CMV. We devised a method for measuring CMV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) based on the isolation of IgM antibody by reaction with a solid phase coated with antihuman IgM. The determination of IgM antibody specific for CMV was accomplished by the subsequent addition of CMV or control antigen and enzyme-labeled CMV antibody (solid phase-IgM method). We compared the sensitivity and specificity of this method with those of a conventional form of solid-phase enzyme immunoassay in which CMV antigen is bound to the solid phase (solid phase-antigen method). Both assay systems were capable of detecting CMV-specific IgM antibody in the sera of 10 babies with documented CMV infection and in those of the mothers of 4 of these babies. The solid phase-IgM method yielded negative results in all 66 sera available from babies who did not have congenital CMV infection. On the other hand, the solid phase-antigen system yielded false-positive results in 12 (18%) of these sera. In addition, the solid phase-antigen system yielded false-positive results in 8 of 12 sera obtained from patients with demonstrable rheumatoid factor. However, the solid phase-IgM system yielded negative results for the rheumatoid sera, provided that appropriate control reactions were performed. The solid phase-IgM system is thus a specific and sensitive method for the determination of CMV IgM antibody.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Torrey, E., Yolken, R., Winfrey, C. (1982). Cytomegalovirus antibody in cerebrospinal fluid of schizophrenic patients detected by enzyme immunoassay. Science 216: 892-894 [Abstract]