Evolution of serum antibodies against different classes of murine cytomegalovirus--induced antigens and virus isolation following a primary infection.

The primary murine cytomegalovirus infection and the subsequent persistent infection have been studied in respect to virus isolation from various organs and specific humoral immune response. The first acute phase of infection took place in parenchymal organs and it was followed by persistent infection in the salivary glands. The transition from the acute phase to the persistent infection coincided with the peak of specific humoral immune response.