KINETICS OF THE ANTIBODY-RESPONSE AGAINST HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-SPECIFIC PROTEINS IN ALLOGENEIC BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

The humoral immune response against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) was re trospectively investigated in >800 serum samples from 31 recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants. To this end, an ELISA was perform ed that allowed the individual analysis of Ige antibodies against know n antigenic domains of CMV-derived phospho- and glycoproteins and nons tructural polypeptides, Twenty-nine patients developed active CMV infe ction after transplantation, as determined by repeatedly positive samp les in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, Seventeen patients resp onded serologically to viral replication by producing CMV-specific ant ibodies against a variety of antigens, The response was detectable con comitantly with PCR positivity and was seen as early as 20 days after transplantation. High titers of glycoprotein-specific neutralizing ant ibodies were correlated with the absence of viral DNA in blood (P < .0 02). Nineteen patients developed CMV disease, Survival was associated with the production of high titers of CMV glycoprotein-specific antibo dies in response to viral replication.