Salivary immunoglobulins in recipients of bone marrow grafts. III. A longitudinal follow-up of CMV specific antibodies.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major complication of BMT. The oral cavity is a common route for CMV infection, whose protection is provided by salivary anti-CMV antibodies. We developed an ELISA assay for the detection of CMV-specific antibodies in parotid saliva. Saliva of patients receiving BMT from CMV-positive donors was transiently reconstituted with IgG and IgA anti-CMV antibodies shortly after transplantation. The concentration of these antibodies gradually decreased during the 2 months after transplantation and increased again around day 80. A remarkable rise in the salivary concentrations of IgG and IgM anti-CMV was observed shortly after i.v. administration of Sandoglobulin. These results demonstrate, for the first time accurate monitoring of CMV-specific antibodies in saliva using a quantitative ELISA assay. The study suggests that secretion of CMV-specific antibodies in saliva of immunocompromised patients can be reconstituted by donor-derived B and plasma cells transferred with the BM or by i.v. administration of pooled Ig.