Clinical observation on vertical transmission of human papillomavirus.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the possibility of maternal-fetal vertical transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV) via amniotic fluid.


METHODS
Specimens of cervical secretions from 30 pregnant women were obtained during the third trimester before rupture of membrane, and specimens of pharyngeal secretions of their neonates were obtained 12-48 h after birth. Amniotic fluids were collected in 13 pregnant women during cesarean section. The presence of HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 38 deoxyribonucleic acid were detected by consensus polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
HPV deoxyribonucleic acid was found in 16 cervical secretions, 14 pharyngeal secretions and in 3 amniotic fluids, the positive rate was 53.3%, 46.7%, 23.1% respectively. The pharyngeal secretion was also HPV positive in one of the three neonates from the amniotic fluid positive mothers.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that HPV can be transmitted in utero through amniotic fluid and cesarean section can not protect the neonates against vertical transmission completely.
Xu
S
S
Virus Laboratory, Second Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110003.
Liu
L
L
Lu
S
S
Ren
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000821:virology; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000635:transmission*
D004279:DNA, Viral