Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection

CMV is an important pathogen for immunocompromised patients. Since such individuals cannot be relied upon to mount appropriate immune responses promptly, methods for detecting virus must be used for diagnosis. Conventional virus isolation is slow and the sensitivity and specificity of a more rapid method using monoclonal antibodies are described. Other potential ways of detecting cytomegalovirus are discussed, including the difficulties of detecting this virus immunochemically in clinical specimens due to its coating of human beta 2-microglobulin.