Diagnosis of fetal rubella infection with reverse transcription and nested polymerase chain reaction: a study of 34 cases diagnosed in fetuses.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to develop a reliable method for prenatal diagnosis of fetal rubella infection through the detection of viral ribonucleic acid extracted from the chorionic villi, amniotic fluid, or fetal blood in pregnant women.


METHODS
Double amplification of rubella viral ribonucleic acid by nested polymerase chain reaction after reverse transcription was applied to samples from 34 women suspected of having rubella. The results were compared with those of serum antibody and levels of rubella virus-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies in fetal blood.


RESULTS
Viral ribonucleic acid was revealed in 8 of 34 cases (23.5%). In the remaining 26 cases, healthy babies were born in 24, 1 was electively aborted, and 1 died in the thirty-sixth week of pregnancy of unknown causes.


CONCLUSIONS
This method allowed very early detection of fetal rubella infection by sampling of chorionic villi and amniotic fluid compared with evaluation of the maternal symptoms and serum antibody levels. Fetal blood was also more useful for making a diagnosis up to the twentieth week of pregnancy than was measuring rubella virus-specific immunoglobulin M antibodies.
Tanemura
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan.
Suzumori
K
K
Yagami
Y
Y
Katow
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000821:virology; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D012409:Rubella / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000196:embryology; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase