title: Neutralizing dengue antibody in pregnant Thai women and cord blood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The WHO 'Global Strategy for Dengue Prevention and Control, 2012-2020' addresses the growing need for the treatment of dengue, and targets a 25% reduction in morbidity and 50% in mortality (using 2010 estimates as baseline). Achieving these goals requires future dengue prevention strategies that will employ both potential vaccines and sustainable vector-control measures. Maternally transferred dengue antibody is an important factor in determining the optimal age for dengue vaccination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the seroprevalence of dengue antibodies among mothers living in an area of high endemicity--Ban Pong, Ratchaburi Province--and to assess maternal dengue antibodies transferred to cord blood.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted with 141 pregnant women who delivered at Ban Pong Hospital, Ratchaburi, Thailand. Maternal-cord paired sera were tested for dengue neutralizing (NT) antibody by PRNT50 assay. A ratio of ≥ 1:10 NT titer to dengue serotype was considered seropositive.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most mothers (137/141, 97.2%) had NT antibodies to at least one dengue serotype in their sera. At birth, the proportion of cord sera with NT antibodies to DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4, were high and similar to the sera of their mothers, at 93.6%, 97.2%, 97.9%, and 92.2%, respectively. The dengue geometric mean titers (GMT) in cord blood were significantly higher than the maternal antibodies (p<0.001): highest in DEN-2, followed by DEN-3, and then DEN-1. The GMT of DEN-4 was the lowest among all four serotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dengue infection is highly prevalent among pregnant women in this dengue-endemic area. Most of the cord blood had transferred dengue antibodies, which may have an impact on the disease burden in this population.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ban Pong Hospital, Ratchaburi, Thailand.
authors: Kriangsak
authors: K
authors: Khamim
authors: Department of Tropical Pediatrics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Weerawan
authors: W
authors: Hattasingh
authors: Department of Virology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS), Thailand.
authors: Ananda
authors: A
authors: Nisalak
authors: Centre of Excellence for Biomedical & Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), and Department of Tropical Hygiene, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Jaranit
authors: J
authors: Kaewkungwal
authors: Department of Virology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS), Thailand.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Fernandez
authors: Department of Virology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS), Thailand.
authors: Butsaya
authors: B
authors: Thaisomboonsuk
authors: Department of Tropical Pediatrics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Krisana
authors: K
authors: Pengsaa
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors: Usa
authors: U
authors: Thisyakorn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003715:Dengue / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral