Complement-mediated cytolytic activity associated with cytomegalovirus complement-fixing IgM antibody |
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| Authors: | J C Booth H S Mohammed |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Virology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, England. |
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| Abstract: | Cytomegalovirus-specific complement-fixing IgM (CMV CF-IgM) antibody was detected in 12/84 (14.3 percent) sera containing CMV-specific IgM. Higher titres were obtained by using a purified antigen preparation containing enveloped virus particles and membrane fragments when compared with a crude extract of infected cells, suggesting that the CF component of CMV IgM reacts predominantly with antigens on the surface of the infected cells. This also accounts for its complement-mediated cytolytic activity. Neither CMV-specific non-complement-fixing IgM nor CMV-specific IgG demonstrates cytolytic activity. |
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| Keywords: | complement ELISA cytotoxicity immunity defence mechanisms |
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