Deficiency In Antibody Response To Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein Gh In Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients At Risk For Cytomegalovirus Retinitis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients at risk for symptomatic human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection were studied for serum antibody to CMV glycoproteins gH and gB. Antibody titers to gB in HIV-seropositive patients, irrespective of CD4 cell counts or presence of CMV retinitis, were significantly higher than titers in HIV-seronegative, CMV-seropositive patients but were comparable to titers detected in HIV-seronegative patients with CMV mononucleosis. In contrast, antibody to gH was rarely detected in HIV-seropositive patients with CD4 cell counts > lOO/mm3 compared with patients with counts > lOO/mm3 . The inability to detect gH antibody at a time of high risk for symptomatic CMV retinitis suggests that immune intervention with either gH-specific vaccine or passive immunotherapy may benefit HIV-infected persons at risk for symptomatic CMV disease.