[Genetic polymorphism of cytomegalovirus strains responsible of congenital infections].
OBJECTIVE
Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the main cause of neurological handicap in young children. The objective for studying genetic polymorphism of strains responsible for congenital infection is to identify CMV strains or groups of strains which would be more frequent in this context and/or which would be responsible for more severe congenital infection.


METHODS
In this paper, we report and analyze the literature concerning the genetic polymorphism of CMV strains responsible of congenital infection, in the genes coding for the envelop protein B and the non structural UL144 protein and in the CMV short tandem repeats.


CONCLUSIONS
All UL144 and gB genotypes can be vertically transmitted from mothers to fetuses, none of these studies has shown any link between the genotypes and the severity of congenital disease. Moreover, no link between short tandem repeats polymorphism and severity of congenital disease has been demonstrated. However, short tandem repeats analysis may be a powerful tool to study the epidemiology of CMV congenital infections.
Picone
Olivier
O
Laboratoire de Virologie, EA 3620 Université René Descartes, CHU Necker-Enfants Malades, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75015 Paris, France.
Costa
Jean-Marc
JM
Ville
Yves
Y
Chaix
Marie-Laure
ML
Rouzioux
Christine
C
Leruez-Ville
Marianne
M
D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins