Cytomegalovirus Complement-Fixing Antibody in Microcephaly

Abstract

THE report with Weller, in 1962, of microcephaly in 14 of 17 infants with generalized cytomegalic inclusion disease established the association of this Central-nervous-system defect with intrauterine cytomegalovirus infection.1 In 1964 Medearis2 demonstrated complement-fixing antibody in 6 of 7 congenitally infected infants with cytomegalic inclusion disease. The present study employs the complement-fixation test to detect cytomegalovirus antibody in 17 infants with typical cytomegalic inclusion disease and 41 microcephalic infants and children without typical symptoms of extraneural disease.Materials and MethodsThe micro complement-fixation test originally introduces by Takátsy3 and modified by Sever and his associates4 was employed. Cytomegalovirus antigen was . . .