Lack of association between the kinetics of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) glycoprotein B (gB)-specific and neutralizing serum antibodies and development or recovery from HCMV active infection in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant

The kinetics of the gB-specific and neutralizing antibody responses to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were analyzed in 26 allogeneic stem-cell transplant recipients who either did (n = 20) or did not (n = 6) develop asymptomatic HCMV active infection during the study period. Antibody response profiles varied widely among individuals in both groups, irrespective of whether HCMV active infection did or did not occur. Development of HCMV active infection was not preceded by a decline in functional serum antibody levels. Neither the absence nor the presence of HCMV active infection correlated with either high or low serum levels of gB-specific and neutralizing antibodies, respectively. In most pa…