IgG subclass-specific antibodies to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-induced early antigens

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Abstract
We investigated the IgG subclass reactivity pattern to early antigens (EA) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in 217 EA-antibody-positive sera from immunocompetent, healthy persons, renal transplant recipients and AIDS patients by immunoblotting. All IgG subclasses are involved in the IgG immune response to HCMV EA. IgG 1 was the major subclass reacting with HCMV EA (with a molecular mass ranging between 23- and 79-kDa) and was present in all sera irrespective of origin. Antibody responses of IgG isotypes 2, 3 and 4 were observed with lower frequency and reactivity, whereas IgG3 was detectable more frequently and reacted slightly stronger than IgG2 and 4. The IgG1 reactivity pattern was similar to that seen with total IgG. In contrast to total IgG and IgG 1, the reactivity of the sub-classes 2, 3 and 4 was not equally distributed among the early polypeptides, but was mainly directed to some of them (79-, 70-, 66-, 43- and 38-kDa). On average primary infections seem to induce a stronger IgG3 response to the 79-, 70- and 38-kDa proteins than reactivated infections and an increased IgG 1 to the 79-, 70-, 59-, 56- and 50-kDa proteins appeared to be associated with severe disease. Noteworthy was the significantly lower prevalence of IgG 1 antibodies to the 70-kDa protein in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infected individuals when compared to renal transplant recipients and immunocompetent, healthy individuals. Since the IgG 1 immune reaction to this protein occurred five to seven times more frequently in healthy persons and renal transplant recipients, the decreased formation of IgG 1 antibodies to the 70-kDa protein might be a characteristic feature of HIV infection.

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