01 Dec Prediction of Congenital CMV Infection in High-Risk Pregnant Women

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Kenji Tanimura

Dr. Kenji Tanimura M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant professor
Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Graduate School of Medicine and
Hideto Yamada M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can cause long-term neurological sequelae, such as hearing difficulties and mental retardations, in affected children. Some investigators reported that early diagnosis and antiviral therapy can improve neurological outcomes in symptomatic congenital infected infants. However, universal screening of newborns for congenital CMV infection is not yet available. Therefore, the development of non-invasive methods for prenatal detection of mothers and newborns at high risk for congenital CMV infection has been desired.

We aimed to determine maternal clinical, laboratory, and ultrasound findings that effectively predict the occurrence of congenital CMV infection in high-risk pregnant women, who were positive for CMV IgM.

We performed maternal blood screening for CMV IgG and IgM, and 300 IgM-positive pregnant women, including 22 with congenital CMV infection, received series of examinations. We evaluated maternal clinical and laboratory findings, including serum CMV IgM and IgG, IgG avidity index, antigenemia testing, and CMV-DNA PCR for the maternal serum, urine, and uterine cervical secretion, and prenatal ultrasound findings.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: We demonstrate, for the first time, that the presence of CMV-DNA in the maternal uterine cervical secretion and ultrasound fetal abnormalities was predictive of the occurrence of congenital CMV infection in high-risk mothers.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Our findings may enable congenital CMV-infected newborns to receive early antiviral therapies and may contribute to improve their neurological outcomes.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Kenji Tanimura, Shinya Tairaku, Yasuhiko Ebina, Ichiro Morioka,Satoshi Nagamata, Kana Deguchi, Mayumi Morizane, Masashi Deguchi,Toshio Minematsu, and Hideto Yamada
Prediction of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in high-risk pregnant women
Clin Infect Dis. first published online October 20, 2016 doi:10.1093/cid/ciw707

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com

[wysija_form id=”5″]

Last Updated on December 6, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD