scholarly journals Evaluation of anti-complement immunofluorescence test in cytomegalovirus infection

1977 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 633-638
Author(s):  
N Rao ◽  
D T Waruszewski ◽  
J A Armstrong ◽  
R W Atchison ◽  
M Ho
Keyword(s):  
Renal Transplant ◽  
Human Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Cytomegalovirus Infection ◽  
Complement Fixation ◽  
Distinct Advantage ◽  
Renal Transplant Recipients ◽  
Transplant Recipients ◽  
Cmv Infection ◽  
Immunofluorescence Test ◽  
Cytoplasmic Staining

The anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) technique was evaluated for the diagnosis of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in a group of sera derived from renal transplant recipients and donors by comparing it with the indirect immunofluorescence (FA) and complement fixation (CF) TESTS. The ACIF and FA tests yielded similar results. However, the ACIF test had a distinct advantage over the indirect FA test, since it eliminated the nonspecific cytoplasmic staining that may result in false positive readings in inexperienced hands. Both the indirect FA and ACIF tests were more sensitive than the CF test. In primary CMV infection, the FA and ACIF antibodies appeared earlier and had significantly higher titer than corresponding CF titers. This difference in titers was not seen in seropositive individuals who lacked overt infection. Our previously reported correlation between the seropositivity of the donor and CMV infection in seronegative recipients has been confirmed.

scholarly journals Anti-complement immunofluorescence test for antibodies to human cytomegalovirus

1977 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 627-632
Author(s):  
J D Kettering ◽  
N J Schmidt ◽  
D Gallo ◽  
E H Lennette
Keyword(s):  
Human Cytomegalovirus ◽  
Complement Fixation ◽  
Human Herpesvirus ◽  
Test System ◽  
Cmv Infection ◽  
Immunofluorescence Test ◽  
Cytoplasmic Staining ◽  
Indirect Hemagglutination ◽  
Human Sera ◽  
Infected Cells

An anti-complement immunofluorescence (ACIF) test that detects human cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen in the nuclei of infected cells was used for assay of CMV antibodies in human sera. Various factors influencing the sensitivity and specificity of the ACIF test system were investigated, and results were applied to the development of a procedure which could be completed in a relatively short length of time and gave reproducible results. Results obtained in the ACIF test were compared with those obtained in complement fixation, indirect hemagglutination, and neutralization tests, and the ACIF test was shown to be suitable for detection of significant antibody titer rises and stationary levels of CMV antibody. Heterotypic antibody responses were not seen with sera from other human herpesvirus infections. The nonspecific cytoplasmic staining that occurs in indirect immunofluorescence tests for CMV did not occur in the ACIF system, and sera that were anti-complementary in complement fixation tests could be examined satisfactorily by ACIF. Thus, the test is a valuable supplemental or back-up procedure for the serodiagnosis of CMV infection.

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