PRESENCE OF AUTOLOGOUS NEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES AGAINST CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) IN SERUM OF HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS TYPE-1-INFECTED PATIENTS SHEDDING CMV IN SALIVA

This study evaluated whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) neutralizing capacity affected shedding of CMV in saliva in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients and mapped specific epitope reactivity of CMV IgG antibodies. Total CMV Ige titers were significantly higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients or controls. All CMV-seropositive patients had neutralizing antibodies to CMV. Shedding of CMV in the saliva of AIDS patients occurs despite the presence of serum antibodies with a high capacity to neutralize autologous CMV isolates. The highest IgG reactivity against a CMV envelope protein (gp 116), represented by a peptide, was found in patients with advanced HIV disease. In contrast, identical IgG reactivities against a peptide representing the CMV matrix protein were observed in healthy controls and HIV-1-infected persons.