In a longitudinal study we examined by immunoblotting (IB) the development and the evolution of the humoral immune response against individual cytomegalovirus (CMV) structural polypeptides in a total of 80 serum samples from 13 renal transplant recipients showing serological evidence of CMV infection and five renal transplant recipients with an anti-CMV antibody level unchanged over the observation period. The results showed that the IB reactivity at the time of transplantation may be a good index of the host's humoral immune status against CMV; by using this procedure it is possible to identify a seroconversion by the detection of antibodies reacting with some intermediate molecular weight proteins in sera examined at high dilution. Furthermore, IB is a very sensitive procedure also for IgM detection as it anticipates the positivity of the enzyme immune assay for IgM.

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We have produced a monoclonal antibody against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) which recognizes a structural protein of 28 000 mol. wt. which is present in both the cytoplasm of infected cells during the late phase of the viral replication cycle and in the extracellular viral particles. This antigen was detected in all HCMV strains assayed and reacted with human sera having anti-HCMV antibodies.

.5 mM of novobiocin completely suppresses the replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in vitro. Based on the evidence that murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) titres were reduced in vitro by 60% with the same concentration of the drug, the in vivo antiviral activity of novobiocin has been tested in the murine model. The results showed that if treatment started before the infection virus was not isolated from parenchymal organs during treatment. Virus could be isolated 24 h after stopping treatment, but not from kidney or spleen.