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Maternal and neonatal anti‐cytomegalovirus IgG level and risk of postnatal cytomegalovirus transmission in preterm infants
Author(s) -
Nijman Joppe,
van Loon Anton M.,
Krediet Tannette G.,
VerboonMaciolek Malgorzata A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.23511
Subject(s) - cytomegalovirus , medicine , gestational age , gestation , human cytomegalovirus , betaherpesvirinae , transmission (telecommunications) , pregnancy , obstetrics , immunology , herpesviridae , viral disease , virus , biology , electrical engineering , genetics , engineering
Immunological mechanisms influencing the risk of mother‐to‐child cytomegalovirus (CMV) transmission in preterm infants have not been studied sufficiently. In this study, the correlation between maternal and neonatal serum anti‐CMV IgG levels and risk of postnatal CMV transmission in preterm infants was assessed. Anti‐CMV IgG levels of 79 CMV seropositive mothers and their 94 infants were determined in peripheral blood samples collected within 3 days after delivery. Postnatal CMV infection was detected in 39/94 (41%) infants by PCR on urine at term‐equivalent age (gestational age 40 weeks) after congenital infection was excluded. Maternal or infant anti‐CMV IgG levels were not significantly different between infants with and without postnatal CMV infection. The anti‐CMV IgG infant–mother ratio showed a significant positive correlation with gestational age (range 25–32 weeks, R 2 = 0.218, P < 0.001), reaching 1.0 at 32 weeks of gestation. Anti‐CMV IgG infant–mother ratio was significantly lower in infants with postnatal CMV infection ( P = 0.015). In conclusion, the risk of postnatal CMV transmission is related to low gestational age and low anti‐CMV IgG infant–mother ratio. J. Med. Virol. 85:689–695, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.