Related Experiment Videos
[CMV antibody determination with two enzyme immunoassays in each case]
S Albert1, W Sibrowski, P Kühnl
1Zentrum der Hygiene, Univ.-Klinik Frankfurt/Main.
Insights
Two enzyme immunoassay test kits for cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies showed high concordance in blood donor screening. CMV-IgG antibody testing appears sufficient for routine screening in blood banks.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus that can cause serious health issues in immunocompromised individuals.
- Screening blood donors for CMV antibodies is crucial to prevent transfusion-transmitted CMV infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the concordance of two commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test kits for detecting cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies.
- To evaluate the suitability of CMV-IgG antibody determination for routine screening in blood donor centers.
Main Methods:
- Two independent studies were conducted using sera from blood donors and patients.
- Commercial EIA kits (CMV-ELA Test by Medac, ABBOTT EIA, and Anti-CMV-IgG-ELISA by Biotest) were used to detect CMV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies.
- Antibody titers were determined at various dilutions (1:10, 1:100, 1:1000).
Main Results:
- In the Frankfurt study, CMV-ELA Test and ABBOTT EIA showed 96.8% concordance for CMV antibodies.
- In the Hamburg study, CMV-IgG-ELA (Medac) and Anti-CMV-IgG-ELISA (Biotest) demonstrated 83.6% concordance.
- Elevated CMV-IgG titers (≥1:1000) were observed in 81% of seropositive individuals.
Conclusions:
- Both enzyme immunoassay procedures are convenient and reliable methods for CMV antibody screening.
- Determination of CMV-IgG-specific antibodies is sufficient for routine CMV screening in blood donor centers.
Abstract:
In each of the two present studies (Frankfurt blood donor center and blood bank of the university of Hamburg) two commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test kits for detecting cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies were compared according to their concordance. In the Frankfurt study, 448 sera of blood donors and patients were tested for IgG- and IgM-specific antibodies by CMV-ELA Test (Medac); IgG-specific antibodies were tested in 3 serum dilutions (1:10, 1:100, 1:1000) of each sample, 221 sera were additionally assayed using the EIA of ABBOTT. Both methods showed the same results in 214/221 (96.8%) sera (p less than 0.001). The determination of CMV-IgG-specific antibody levels were as follows: Out of 294 seropositive individuals, titers greater than or equal to 1:1000 were seen in 81% (238). IgM antibodies to CMV were determined in 22/448 serum specimen, which all had IgG antibodies too; there were 18/22 (81.8%) samples with elevated titers for CMV-IgG (greater than or equal to 1:1000). In the second study, 500 sera of blood donors from Hamburg were tested for CMV-IgG antibodies by two enzyme immunoassays, CMV-IgG-ELA (Medac) and Anti-CMV-IgG-ELISA (Biotest). The results were concordant in 418 (83.6%) of the 500 samples (p less than 0.01). All EIA procedures were found to be convenient test methods for CMV antibody screening and the results showed significant correlations. Furthermore, the determination of CMV-IgG-specific antibodies seems to be sufficient for routine CMV screening in blood donor centers.