Antibody inhibition of cytomegalovirus: the role of natural killer and macrophage effector cells.

To explore mechanisms by which antibody might inhibit cytomegalovirus (CMV), we measured the ability of intravenous CMV-IgG (CytoGam) to reduce viral yield in the presence of effector cells. Foreskin fibroblasts were infected with a clinical strain of CMV, and CytoGam was added along with effector cells consisting of either unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), natural killer (NK) cells, or macrophages. The combination of CytoGam and either of the effector cell types markedly inhibited established CMV infection in vitro. In addition, CytoGam combined with effector cells protected the monolayer from CMV-induced cytopathic effects. Antibody-dependent, effector cell-mediated functions may underlie the ability of CytoGam to prevent or modulate CMV infection in vivo.