Lack of association between the kinetics of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein B (gB)-specific and neutralizing serum antibodies and development or recovery from HCMV active infection in patients undergoing allogeneicstem cell transplant

The kinetics of the gB-specific and neutralizing antibody responses to huma n cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were analyzed in 26 allogeneic stem-cell transplan t recipients who either did (n = 20) or did not (n = 6) develop asymptomati c HCMV active infection during the study period. Antibody response profiles varied widely among individuals in both groups, irrespective of whether HC MV active infection did or did not occur. Development of HCMV active infect ion was not preceded by a decline in functional serum antibody levels. Neit her the absence nor the presence of HCMV active infection correlated with e ither high or low serum levels of gB-specific and neutralizing antibodies, respectively. In most patients, episodes of HCMV replication were not follo wed by a marked increment in functional serum antibody titers. Therefore, r esolution of an ongoing HCMV active infection was not associated with a vig orous antibody response to viral replication. In addition, this study suppo rts previous data indicating that passive transfer of human immunoglobulins may result in an increment in gB-specific and neutralizing serum antibody levels, the magnitude of which varies among recipients; however, both patie nts with and without measurable increments in serum antibody levels develop ed HCMV active infections with comparable frequency. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, I nc.