Description

Cytomegalovirus is a herpes virus and a leading biological factor causing congenital abnormalities and complications among those who receive massive blood transfusions and immunosuppressive therapy. About half of pregnant women who contract a primary infection spread the disease to their fetus. When acquired in-utero, the infection may cause mental retardation, blindness, and/or deafness. Serological tests for detecting the presence of antibody to CMV can provide valuable information regarding the history of previous infection, diagnosis of active or recent infection, as well as in screening blood for transfusions in newborns and immuno-compromised recipients. ASIA-LION CMV IgM is an accurate serologic method to detect CMV IgM antibody for identification of CMV infection. ASIA-LION CMV IgM Capture kit utilizes ELISA based on the antibody-capture technique. Patient sera are incubated with mouse monoclonal antibody against human IgM bound to the solid surface of a microtiter well. Patient IgM is `captured&#**9; by the surface bound antibody. Unbound serum components are washed away. Patient anti-CMV IgM antibodies are `detected&#**9; and bound by an immunocomplex, Enzyme conjugate, consisting of CMV antigen which is conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Unbound conjugate is removed by aspiration and washing. Substrate is then added and incubated. In the presence of bound enzyme the substrate is converted to an end product. The absorbance of this end product can be read spectrophotometrically at **0 nm and is directly proportional to the concentration of IgM antibodies to CMV antigen present in the sample.