title: Seropositivity of cytomegalovirus in patients with recurrent pregnancy loss.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some evidence has shown a relationship between human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and pregnancy loss. However, whether recurrent or latent CMV infection or altered immune response to CMV is related to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is unclear. We evaluated CMV infection and avidity of antibodies to CMV in women with RPL.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was conducted on 43 women with RPL referred to a clinical immunology out-patient clinic in Isfahan (Iran), and 43 age-matched multiparous women without history of abortion as control subjects. Patients and controls were evaluated for anti-CMV IgG and IgM antibodies and IgG avidity index (AI) using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Student's t-test and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One case (2.3%) of positive anti-CMV IgM was detected in each group. Anti-CMV IgG positivity was more frequent in patients than in controls (90.6% vs. 69.8%, P = 0.014), but there was no difference between the two groups in anti-CMV IgG AI (79.4 ± 11.4 vs. 80.1 ± 10.2, P = 0.781). IgG titer was significantly higher in seropositive cases with RPL than seropositive controls (5.18 ± 1.99 vs. 2.00 ± 0.81, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that previous exposure to CMV was significantly higher in patients with RPL than the control group. However, no association was found between IgG AI and RPL. Further investigations are needed to find whether latent CMV infection starts an indirect process of autoimmune etiology in RPL or women with RPL have recurrent or reactivation of CMV infection.
authors.affiliation: Acquired Immunodeficiency Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sherkat
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meidani
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Specialist, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zarabian
authors.affiliation: Immunology, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rezaei
authors.affiliation: Poursina Hakim Research Institution, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gholamrezaei
keywords: Avidity index; cytomegalovirus; infection; recurrent pregnancy loss