[Incidence and prognostic value of cytomegalovirus-specific antibodies of the IgM class in kidney transplant recipients].

In a retrospective study of 326 patients which have been received a renal allograft between 1985 and 1988 at the Berlin Kidney Transplant Centre, all recipients were divided into 3 groups according to their antibody status against cytomegalovirus (IgM+/IgG+; IgM-/IgG+; IgM-/IgG-). Frequency and severity of CMV infections in the early period after kidney transplantation have been compared. Primary infections could be observed in 51/112 (45.5%) patients (group 3), secondary infections in 60/190 (31.6%) patients (group 2). In 7.4% of all recipients (24/326) CMV-specific IgM antibodies could be found at the time of transplantation (group 1). In primary infections the patients have had a significantly higher frequency of moderate or severe CMV diseases as in secondary infections (24.4 vs. 8.3%). In group 3 this frequency was 16.7%. In conclusion, it is not necessary to select renal allograft recipients according their positive CMV-IgM-antibody status, but a close-meshed posttransplant control is indicated.