Cytomegalovirus gB genotype and clinical features in Chinese infants with congenital infections.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate cytomegalovirus (CMV) glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes and clinical features in Chinese infants with congenital infections.


METHODS
Urine samples were obtained from 79 infants with human CMV infection confirmed by quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A fragment of the gB gene was amplified by nested PCR. CMV gB genotyping was carried out by restriction fragment length polymorphism, and 24 samples of the amplified DNA fragments were verified by DNA sequencing.


RESULTS
The levels of CMV DNA in symptomatic and asymptomatic infants were 2.95 x 10(5) and 4.5 x 10(3) copies/ml, respectively, with a significant difference (p < 0.001). In all these cases, the most prevalent genotype was gB1 (50.63%), followed by gB3 (21.52%), gB2 (17.72%), and coinfection (10.13%); gB4 was not found. Moreover, gB1 was more prevalent in infants with liver damage (22/32) than in other symptomatic infants without liver damage (8/22, p = 0.019) or asymptomatic infants (10/25, p = 0.030). The homology of CMV gB in the 24 strains amplified as compared with the sequences of prototype strains in GenBank ranged from 97.06 to 99.64%.


CONCLUSIONS
The restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of CMV gB genotypes was definite and reliable. The gB1 genotype is the most prevalent in Chinese infants with congenital CMV disease, especially in those with liver damage, followed by genotypes gB3, gB2, and gB4.
Yu
Zhong Sheng
ZS
Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Zou
Chao Chun
CC
Zheng
Ji Yan
JY
Zhao
Zheng Yan
ZY
D002681:China; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D013045:Species Specificity; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000652:urine
D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus