Seroconversion to Human‐Cytomegalovirus‐Specific Pre‐Early Nuclear Antigens in Renal Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Seroconversion to human cytomegalovirus (H-CMV)-specific antigens was observed in 8 out of 9 renal transplant recipients. In 7 of the 8 recipients antibody to "pre-early nuclear antigens" (PENA), which are detectable in human embryonic lung cells within 1 hr of H-CMV infection by anti-complement immunofluorescence staining, developed concomitantly with the increase in other antibodies including anti-early antigens (EA), anti-nuclear inclusions (NI), and complement-fixing (CF) antibody in 1-2 months after transplantation.About 1 year later, anti-PENA and anti-EA titers were concomitantly decreased in 2 recipients, whereas anti-NI and CF antibody titers were maintained at elevated levels in all the seroconverted recipients. These results support the idea that the development of antibody to PENA, like antibody to EA, may represent a current or recent infection with (or reactivation of) H-CMV. In one patient, antibody to PENA did not develop through the observation period despite increases in antibody to EA and other antibodies; this lends support to immunological distinctness of PENA from EA.

Antibodies to cytomegalovirus-induced pre-early nuclear antigen in the anticomplement-immunofluorescent test in comparison to IgG and IgM antibodies in the indirect and direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in diagnosing cytomegalovirus infections

“…In some of our patients we were able to show that anti-PENA persists longer than IgM antibody in direct ELISA and IF. However, our findings are different from the result of OItTSUEA et al (5) who failed to detect anti-PENA in healthy persons possessing other CMV specific antibodies. Moreover, we also detected anti-PENA in nearly twothirds of persons with IgG antibody-in indirect ELISA but without IgM antibody in direct ELISA tested before open heart surgery.…”

“…This observation is in agreement with the results of OI~TSlJKA et al (5) in renal transplant patients with recurrent CMV infection. All these patients had anti-PENA and IgG antibody as determined by indirect ELISA before or shortly after open heart surgery.…”

“…Determinations of antibody to we-early nuclear antigen (anti-PENA) using the anticomplement-immunofluorescent test (ACIF) have been carried out by different authors (t, 2,3,5). It has been found that seroconversion of anti-PENA follows primary and recurrent CMV infection.…”

Early and late antigens of human cytomegalovirus:Electroimmunodiffusion assay of numbers, relationships, and reactivities with donor sera

“…The detection by EID of antibody to LTA in all sera from excretors, of antibody to EA in most of them (16 of 22), and of persistence of both antibodies for several years (Table 11), is in general accord with results obtained by others using a variety of serologic techniques [The et al, 1977;Gerna et al, 1978;Farber et al, 1979;Michelson et al, 1979b;Ohtsuka et al, 1979;Griffiths et al, 1980;Friedman et al, 19821. Similarly, EID results were largely consistent with those in our own CF, IHA, and IIF-EA tests, although EID appears to be less sensitive in detecting low levels of antibody to both EA and LTA in sera from apparently healthy, nonexcretors.…”

Expression of human T-cell leukaemia virus type I and associated antigens, and interleukin-2 and receptor in lymph nodes of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma

“…For immunological staining of HTLV-I associated antigens, the paraffin-embedded sections were deparaffinized and dehydrated.We successfully incubated them at 37 ° C for 30 min with serial twofold dilutions of heat-inactivated sera antibodies from patients with guinea-pig complement and then with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated anti-guinea-pig C3 rabbit serum [19]. Thereafter, the sections were processed for immunostaining by the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique.…”