Detection of antibodies to cytomegalovirus by immunofluorescence and enzyme immunoassay.

Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) to cytomegalovirus (CMV) correlated in 88.9%. All but one differences were due to negativity in IFA and positivity in EIA. The agreement between determination of immunoglobulin G (IgG) to CMV by IFA and determination of total antibodies to CMV by EIA was 89.9%. All the differences were due to a mild positivity in IFA and negativity in EIA. The advantage of EIA is in its objective colorimetric evaluation of test results excluding a subjective underestimation or overestimation of the reaction. In addition, EIA gives the result of IgM detection already in 6 hours, while IFA as late as in 24 hours.