title: Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus among pregnant women and hospitalized children in Palestine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of congenital infections. The maternal immune status plays a major role in the likelihood of congenital infection. The aim of this study is to shed light on the seroprevalence of HCMV in pregnant women, hospitalized children and newborns including cases of congenital infections in Palestine.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed HCMV IgG and IgM test results that had been ordered for pregnant women, hospitalized children and newborns in the years 2006-2012 at Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Hospital (MICH) in East Jerusalem. Furthermore, we reviewed the medical charts of newborns and HCMV IgM-positive children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCMV IgG was positive in 96.6% of pregnant women, in 88% of hospitalized children and in 98.4% of hospitalized newborns. HCMV IgM was positive in 11.5% of pregnant women, in 11.7% of hospitalized children and in 2% of hospitalized newborns respectively. The HCMV avidity assay revealed that 95% of IgM-positive pregnant women had high avidity (>60%) indicating that most Palestinian women were undergoing a recurrent HCMV infection. Real time PCR on limited number of cases indicated that 62.5% of infants, mostly born to IgM-positive mothers and 83.3% of HCMV IgM-positive children had detectable HCMV DNA in their urine. Out of the 249 newborns tested during this study period, four (1.6%) were subjected to Gancyclovir treatment because of symptomatic congenital HCMV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report to provide an insight into HCMV seroprevalence in Palestine. Despite the high rate of seropositivity, the importance of HCMV testing during pregnancy should not be underestimated. A comprehensive study with a long term follow-up examination of offspring born to HCMV IgM-positive mothers would be required to provide estimates of an accurate percentage of symptomatic congenital HCMV infection in Palestine.
authors.forename: Tahani
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neirukh
authors.forename: Ayda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qaisi
authors.forename: Niveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Areej Abu
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rmaileh
authors.forename: Eman Abu
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Zahriyeh
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qurei
authors.forename: Firas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dajani
authors.forename: Taghreed
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nusseibeh
authors.forename: Hatem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khamash
authors.forename: Sabri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baraghithi
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Hospital, East Jerusalem, Palestine. mazzeh@med.alquds.edu.
authors.forename: Maysa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azzeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral