Cytomegalovirus Viruria and DNAemia in Healthy Seropositive Women

Viruria and DNAemia patterns were investigated in 205 seroimmune women enrolled in a prospective cytomegalovirus (CMV) reinfection study. CMV DNA was detected at least once in urine and blood specimens from 83% and 52% of patients, respectively. At baseline, 39% of patients had viruria, and 24% had DNAemia. Intermittent viruria and viremia was observed throughout the study. There were no differences in baseline CMV positivity by polymerase chain reaction or in longitudinal DNAemia and viruria between the women with and without serological evidence of reinfection. In young seropositive women, CMV DNAemia and viruria are common, which suggests that naturally acquired immunity to CMV does not alter shedding patterns

Human cytomegalovirus reinfection is associated with intrauterine transmission in a highly cytomegalovirus-immune maternal population

OBJECTIVE: To determine contribution of reinfection with new strains of cytomegalovirus in cytomegalovirus seromimmune women to incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. STUDY DESIGN: In 7848 women studied prospectively for congenital cytomegalovirus infection from a population with near universal cytomegalovirus seroimmunity, sera from 40 mothers of congenitally infected infants and 109 mothers of uninfected newborns were analyzed for strain-specific anticytomegalovirus antibodies. RESULTS: All women were cytomegalovirus seroimmune at first prenatal visit. Reactivity for 2 cytomegalovirus strains was found in 14 of 40 study mothers and in 17 of 109 control mothers at first prenatal visit (P=.009). Seven of 40 (17.5%) study women and 5 of 109 (4.6%) controls (P=.002) acquired antibodies reactive with new cytomegalovirus strains during pregnancy. Evidence of infection with more than 1 strain of cytomegalovirus before or during current pregnancy occurred in 21 of 40 study mothers and 22 of 109 controls (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: Maternal reinfection by new strains of cytomegalovirus is a major source of congenital infection in this population.National Institutes of Health (NIH)[NIAID AI 49537]National Institutes of Health (NIH)[R03 TW006480]National Institutes of Health (NIH)[NIDCD DC04162]Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP), Brazil[02/04166-6

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Method for Detection of Cytomegalovirus Strain-Specific Antibody Responses▿

Reliable methods for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain-specific serological responses are lacking. We describe a simple and reliable enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method developed to detect antibodies against the polymorphic epitopes within the two envelope glycoproteins of CMV, glycoproteins H and B. This assay is useful for the detection of serologic responses to CMV strains and the identification of CMV reinfections