Comparison of an enzyme-linked immunoassay with an indirect hemagglutination assay for the detection of antibodies to cytomegalovirus.

Because of the morbidity associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in neonates, immunosuppressed and transplant patients, there is a need for a rapid, sensitive, and reliable assay for the presence of antibody to CMV. Such an assay would permit the identification of CMV antibody negative blood or plasma for transfusion into these high-risk patients. The indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) is often employed to detect antibodies to CMV, but results must be interpreted subjectively. Thus, an indirect enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed to detect antibodies to CMV, and was compared to IHA. 531 sera from a population of healthy blood donors were assayed by both methods. Compared with IHA the sensitivity of the indirect EIA was 98.5% (267/271) and the specificity was 93.1% (242/260). Antibodies to Epstein-Barr, herpes-zoster, or herpes simplex viruses did not react in the EIA. The EIA and IHA correlated well in the detection of antibodies to CMV in sera from acute CMV infections. The presence of rheumatoid factor did not interfere with the EIA or IHA results. This indirect EIA is a rapid, simple, and reproducible method to identify seronegative sera or plasma.