Cytomegalovirus Antibodies of Patients in the Gizan Area of Saudi Arabia

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 152; no. 6; p. 1351
• Main Authors: Ashraf, S. J., Parande, C. M., Arya, S. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01.12.1985; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Correspondence; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus - immunology; Cytomegalovirus Infections - diagnosis; Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - analysis; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infections; Saudi Arabia; Serologic Tests; Saudi Arabia
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/152.6.1351

Using the ELISA (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill) to determine the titers of antibody to CMV, the authors tested serum samples from patients living in the Gizan Area of Saudi Arabia. Serum samples were collected from September to December 1984 from 331 Saudi Arabians attending the Gizan General Hospital, which caters to the residents of the city and adjoining areas. These sera were tested for IgC antibody to CMV. Of the cord sera tested, 100% contained IgG antibody to CMV. It can be assumed that the antibody in the cord sera was passively transferred maternal antibody. At two years of age, 69% of the children had IgG antibody to CMV, a percentage suggesting that the antibody was actively acquired. The percent seropositivity reached similar to 100% by 12 years of age. Clearly, the highest rate of infection occurs in infants and pre-school children.