Cytomegalovirus excretion after bone marrow transplantation cannot be predicted from the pre-transplant level of IgG antibodies.

The relationship of pre-bone-marrow transplant recipient and donor cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody level to post-transplant recipient CMV excretion was investigated. CMV excretion was found to be related to pre-transplant recipient serological status, but not to level of antibody. This therefore contrasts with herpes simplex virus (HSV), for which pre-transplant antibody level in recipients predicts post-transplant HSV excretion.