Immunoglobulin G to virus-specific early antigens in congenital, primary, and reactivated human cytomegalovirus infections.

Immunoglobulin G antibody to human cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific early antigens (EA-Ab) was determined by the immunoperoxidase antibody technique in several cases of congenital, primary, and reactivated CMV infections. Mothers of congenitally infected infants and a group of leukemic children and pregnant women were also studied. In 11 cases of congenital infection, CMV EA-Ab was always associated with CMV excretion whether immunoglobulin M antibody was present or not. Nine mothers of congenitally infected infants had CMV EA-Ab for several months after delivery, but association with CMV elimination was not established when urine and/or saliva were tested for virus isolation. In all nine cases of primary CMV infection, CMV EA-Ab was present, and in five its detection was associated with CMV isolation. In one case, disappearance of EA-Ab occurred when virus excretion ceased. In five cases of reactivated CMV infections, a consistent association between CMV EA-Ab and virus isolation was found. Six of 31 leukemia children had CMV EA-Ab, and virus was isolated from 3 of these. Four of 28 pregnant women showed EA-Ab in their serum, but tests for isolation were not done. These data suggest that CMV EA-Ab is not a marker of a current primary CMV infection, as previously reported, but a marker of an active CMV replication which can take place in primary as well as in congenital and reactivated CMV infections.