High perinatal seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus in northern Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
The living style, health-care system and socio-economic environments have changed substantially in Taiwan over past 20 years. This study was aimed to estimate the current perinatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence in northern Taiwan.


METHODS
In a Taiwan Birth Panel Study, 483 pairs of mothers and neonates were prospectively recruited from one tertiary medical center, one local hospital, and two obstetric clinics located in northern Taiwan from April 2004 through January 2005. Sera of their paired maternal and cord blood were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method for CMV IgG and IgM antibodies. Additional data were collected for health measures and epidemiological characteristics through trained interviewers utilising structured questionnaires.


RESULTS
Among 483 mothers studied, 93% were Taiwanese, 6.4% were immigrants from the south-eastern Asia and Mainland China, and 0.6% was aborigines. The seropositive rate of CMV IgG and IgM among the mothers was 91.1% and 3.5%, respectively. The immigrant mothers and the mothers younger than 20 years of age had a higher IgM seroprevalence (P < 0.05). Furthermore, 90.8% of the offspring had CMV IgG seropositivity and yet none of the neonates were CMV IgM positive.


CONCLUSIONS
The seroprevalence of CMV among childbearing women is high in northern Taiwan. The immigrant mothers and the teenage mothers appear to have higher seropositivity of CMV IgM.
Chen
Mei-Huei
MH
Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chen
Pau-Chung
PC
Jeng
Suh-Fang
SF
Hsieh
Chia-Jung
CJ
Su
Feng-Chiao
FC
Liao
Hua-Fang
HF
Su
Yi-Ning
YN
Lin
Shio-Jean
SJ
Hsieh
Wu-Shiun
WS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M