Detection of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) DNA in breast milk by polymerase chain reaction and prevalence of HHV-7 antibody in breast-fed and bottle-fed children.
Twenty-nine breast milk mononuclear cell samples were analyzed for human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) DNA, human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) DNA, and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In addition, peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 13 puerperants were analyzed for HHV-7 DNA by PCR, and seropositivity of HHV-7 was also analyzed in breast-fed and bottle-fed children. HHV-7 DNA was detected in 3 of 29 breast milk samples. HCMV DNA was also detected in 3 of 29 breast milk samples, but HHV-6 DNA was not detected. HHV-7 DNA was detected in 11 of 13 samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Though the seropositivity rate for HHV-7 in breast-fed children was slightly higher than that in bottle-fed children at 18 and 24 months old, the difference was not statistically significant. From these results, we speculate that breast-feeding may be one of the transmission routes of HHV-7, although this is not the main route.
Fujisaki
H
H
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
Tanaka-Taya
K
K
Tanabe
H
H
Hara
T
T
Miyoshi
H
H
Okada
S
S
Yamanishi
K
K
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D049590:Postpartum Period; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral