ISOLATION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO SUP EREARLY PROTEINS OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS AND THEIR USE FOR THE DETECTION OF INFECTED-CELLS

Twenty-six mouse hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (MAB) to h uman cytomegalovirus (CMV) proteins have been obtained. MAB produced b y three hybridomas were studied in detail. MAB were active in indirect immunofluorescence and solid-phase enzyme immunoassay, being directed to the superearly viral protein p72. Use of the resultant MAB for ana lysis of CMV-infected cells demonstrated that by specificity and sensi tivity of viral antigen detection they were not inferior to anti-CMV a ntibodies manufactured by Ortho, USA. Screening of 258 patients with s uspected CMV infection showed that these MAB may be used for immunoflu orescent detection of CMV antigens in the material isolated from patie nts and infected subjects.