RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Preexisting antibodies can protect against congenital cytomegalovirus infection in monkeys JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 127647 DO 10.1101/127647 A1 Cody S. Nelson A1 Diana Vera Cruz A1 Dollnovan Tran A1 Kristy M. Bialas A1 Lisa Stamper A1 Huali Wu A1 Margaret Gilbert A1 Robert Blair A1 Xavier Alvarez A1 Hannah Itell A1 Meng Chen A1 Ashlesha Deshpande A1 Flavia Chiuppesi A1 Felix Wussow A1 Don J. Diamond A1 Nathan Vandergrift A1 Mark R. Walter A1 Peter A. Barry A1 Michael Cohen-Wolkowiez A1 Katia Koelle A1 Amitinder Kaur A1 Sallie R. Permar YR 2017 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/04/15/127647.abstract AB Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenital infection and a known cause of microcephaly, sensorineural hearing loss, and cognitive impairment among newborns worldwide. Natural maternal HCMV immunity reduces the incidence of congenital infection, but does not prevent the disease altogether. We employed a nonhuman primate model of congenital CMV infection to investigate the ability of preexisting antibodies to protect against placental CMV transmission. Pregnant, CD4+ T cell-depleted, rhesus CMV (RhCMV)-seronegative rhesus monkeys were treated with either standardly-produced hyperimmune globulin (HIG) from RhCMV-seropositive macaques or dose-optimized, potently RhCMV-neutralizing HIG prior to intravenous challenge with an RhCMV swarm. HIG passive infusion provided complete protection against fetal loss in both groups, and the potently-neutralizing HIG additionally inhibited placental transmission of RhCMV. Our findings suggest that antibody alone at the time of primary infection can prevent congenital CMV and therefore could be a primary target of vaccines to eliminate this neonatal infection.