[Experiences with a "rapid test" in detecting antibodies to cytomegalovirus]

Transmission of cytomegalovirus (CMV) to CMV negative transplant or blood recipients should be avoided in organ transplantations, since CMV infection of immunocompromised patients can result in severe illness. The infectivity of organ and blood donors is judged on the basis of CMV antibody, considering CMV IgG positives as potentially infectious. Several sensitive test systems are available for testing organ and blood donors for CMV IgG antibody which should be carried out prior to each transplantation. A series of sera were tested comparatively for CMV IgG antibody by latex agglutination test, ELISA and immunofluorescence. It was found that the rapid and easily performed latex agglutination test was much less sensitive than were the other techniques employed. As a consequence, positive latex agglutination test results are acceptable, only, while negative results should be controlled by more sensitive methods.