IMPROVEMENT OF SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION IN RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS BY TESTING FOR SPECIFIC IMMUNOGLOBULIN-E BY ELISA

The kinetics of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), M (IgM), A (IgA) and G (IgG) were studied in 421 sera obtained from 19 renal allograft recipients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent ass ay (ELISA). Cytomegalic inclusion disease (CID) occurred in 11 (57.9%) patients. HCMV infection was diagnosed in all (100%) of these patient s by testing for specific IgE. In contrast, increased levels of IgM an d IgA class antibody against HCMV were detected in only 45.5% and 18.2 % patients suffering from primary or recurrent HCMV infection, respect ively. Concerning the time interval between the onset of clinical symp toms and the first positive test, no significant differences in the ki netics of HCMV-specific immunoglobulins E, M, A and G were observed. E levated specific IgE levels persisted for longer time intervals than t he other immunoglobulin classes. As shown by the present study, specif ic IgE proved to be a more reliable serologic marker than IgM and IgA for the serologic detection of HCMV infection in renal allograft recip ients.