title: Cytomegalovirus blood viral load and hearing loss in young children with congenital infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to determine whether elevated viral load in infants and young children is associated with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related hearing loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were obtained from 135 children with congenital CMV infection. CMV DNA in the peripheral blood was quantitated with a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Viral load measurements were analyzed in 3 different age groups (<2 months, 2-12 months, 12-36 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In children with symptomatic and asymptomatic infection, CMV DNA levels were not different between children with hearing deficit and those with normal hearing in all 3 age groups. In children with asymptomatic infection, the positive predictive value of a peripheral blood viral load >3500 genomic equivalents per milliliter (ge/mL) at <2 months and 2 to 12 months of age is 8%, and at 12 to 36 months of age is 11.8%. However, the negative predictive value of a viral load <3500 ge/mL is 94.4% at <2 months of age, and 100% at 2 to 36 months of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral blood viral load is not associated with hearing loss in children with congenital CMV infection. However, a viral load of <3500 ge/mL is associated with a lower risk of hearing loss in children born with asymptomatic congenital infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. sross@peds.uab.edu
authors.forename: Shannon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Zdenek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.forename: Suresh B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Boppana
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral