An indirect immunofluorescent assay (Euroimmun AG, Luebeck, Germany) was used to investigate the avidity of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, IgA, and total Ig (IgGAM) antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS CoV) infections. Serial serum samples from eight patients collected during the first, third, and ninth months after the onset of infection were evaluated. It wa...

Maternal antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection offer, to some extent, protection against congenital CMV infection. This study describes the seroprevalence of CMV-specific IgG in 220 parturient women during pregnancy, at delivery, at 3 months after delivery and in their cord blood (Flanders, Belgium, 2006-2008). ELISA was used to measure IgG. Of this population, 30% had positive IgG...

INTRODUCTION Systemic lupus erythematosus is characterized by production of autoantibodies to RNA or DNA-protein complexes such as small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). A role of Epstein-Barr virus in the pathogenesis has been suggested. Similar to Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infects the majority of individuals at a young age and establishes latency with a potential for react...

Background: Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most significant pathogens infecting immunosuppressed individuals. CMV is known to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following blood transfusion in immunocompromised individuals. The immunosuppressed population for whom CMV free blood products are requested is increasing due to advances in medical care. The most effective way...

AIMS To optimise the ELISA method for the avidity of IgG antibodies against neurofilament heavy chain (NfH) and to determine the levels and avidity of anti-NfH antibodies in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and a healthy control group. METHODS Various dilutions of sera and concentrations of urea and sodium chloride as chaotropic reagents were tested in the process of the ELISA optimisat...

The present work proposed to correlate serum antibody avidity and salivary antibody titers as parameters for time of infection and antigen exposure in a cohort study evaluating leprosy patients in different periods of treatment. Colorimetric enzyme-immunoassays for salivary antibodies, serum antibody IgG titers and avidities were performed in the samples. Anti-PGL-1 IgA and IgM salivary antibod...

With new techniques 19 bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients were monitored for lymphocyte proliferation and specific IgG production in vitro by cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen in solid phase. Twelve patients got a reactivated CMV infection as defined by virus isolation or serum IgG conversion. Lymphocyte proliferation and in vitro IgG production responses were significantly stronger in these 1...

BACKGROUND Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infectious cause of mental disability in newborns in developed countries. There is an urgent need to establish an early detection and high-throughput screening method for CMV infection using portable detection devices. METHODS An antibody analysis method is reported for the detection and identification of CMV antibodies in serum using a bios...

BACKGROUND Early diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) is difficult when specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies are absent, or if persist for months, in the newborn infant's blood. OBJECTIVES To study the risk factors of neonatal toxoplasmosis and to compare different immunologic profiles (Toxoplasma-specific IgM, IgA antibodies and the avidity of IgG antibodies) with polymerase chai...

BACKGROUND Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most important opportunistic infections in transplant recipients. Currently sero-positivity for CMV IgG before solid organ transplantation is the laboratory test of choice for stratifying the risk of CMV reactivation after solid organ transplantation. Theoretically, CMV-specific cell-mediated immune responses before solid organ transplantation shou...