title: Detection of cytomegalovirus in human placental cells by polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of viral intrauterine infection. Progress in rapid, specific, and dependable detection of HCMV has recently been achieved by the use of DNA hybridization techniques and other molecular methods. We examined 21 placentas after delivery for the presence of HCMV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To test the reliability of the PCR for the detection of HCMV DNA in clinical specimens, two simple PCR assays and a real-time quantitative PCR were used. PCR analysis of villous and decidual cells showed that HCMV DNA was present in 16 placentas (76.2%). Transmission of HCMV infection to chorionic villi was confirmed in 11 organs (52.4%), and congenital infections in newborns were detected in 9 cases (42.8%). These results suggest that HCMV genome detection in placentas at later gestational ages is common. Our results demonstrated that detection of HCMV DNA in placental tissues by DNA amplification provides a specific and sensitive method for diagnosis of intrauterine HCMV infection.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Biological Chemistry, Lódź, Poland. eparadowska@cbm.pan.pl
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paradowska
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Przepiórkiewicz
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nowakowska
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Studzińska
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilczyński
authors.forename: Vincent C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.forename: Zbigniew J
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Leśnikowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010920:Placenta / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D007136:Immunoglobulins