title: Prevalence and avidity of human herpesvirus-6 specific IgG antibodies in pregnant women in Hungary.
abstract: The prevalence, the level and the avidity of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) specific IgG were examined in pregnant women and age-matched female blood donors. The study group consisted of 180 women (age 14-45); 60 women with normal pregnancy, 60 pregnant women with fetuses suspected of having any viral infection and 60 healthy blood donors with no history of pregnancy. Plasma or serum samples were tested for HHV-6 IgG antibodies by an immunofluorescence assay. Ninety-eight percent of blood donors and 97% of 120 pregnant women had IgG antibodies to HHV-6. The rate of seropositivity in women with normal pregnancies and women with fetuses suspected to have viral infection was the same. Pregnant women (n = 120) had significantly lower antibody titer than blood donors. No significant differences were found in the same respect between the two groups of pregnant women. Low avidity of IgG antibodies to HHV-6 was detected in 5% of pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ibolya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stiller
authors.forename: Rozália
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pusztai
authors.forename: Erzsébet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sombor
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Orosz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pál
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Taródi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G