title: [Immune signs of activation of the herpes simplex virus in women with physiological pregnancy].
abstract: Reactivation of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) is frequently observed in women during pregnancy. However, the concomitant changes in the immune system are still insufficiently understood. The goal of this work was to present a comparative analysis intended to identify specific antiviral IgM antibodies and IgG to determine their titles, concentration, and avidity in paired sera of 49 HSV-positive pregnant women without complicated obstetric-gynecological history. The serology results were compared with the quantitative determination in the serum IFNγ, as well as with the level of spontaneous and induced cytokine production by blood lymphocytes. For this purpose, 5.0 ml of blood from a vein was collected in pregnant women (9-11 weeks of gestation). The procedure was repeated in 4 weeks. The nonspecific induction of the IFNγ was performed using phytohemagglutinin (PanEco, Russia). Given the concentration of the immune markers in the samples, such values were evaluated by ELISA using certified commercial kits available from Vector-Best Ltd. (Russia) and Diagnostic System Scientific Manufacturing Association (Russia). IgM antibodies in paired sera had not been detected in any of the 49 women. High-avidity IgG antibodies were detected in all women in the titer 1:50-1:100, but in the second sample of sera from 32 women (study group) antibody titers were found to be as high as 1:600-1:800. The women with no growth of the serum antibodies were included in the control group (n = 17). Comparative analysis of the amount of IFNγ in sera showed that the content of the cytokine in the first blood sample and the level of the spontaneous production in women of the study group were statistically significantly higher than in the control group (4.2 vs. 2.7, p = 0.05; 7.5 vs. 2.0, p = 0.03, respectively). In the blood samples taken after 4 weeks the serum concentration of IFNγ (2.6 vs. 4.2, p = 0.049), and its spontaneous product (4.5 vs. 7.5, p = 0.046) were considerably lower than in the first blood samples. These results demonstrate that the reactivation of the HSV infection occurs in women with normal pregnancy and the lack of complicated obstetric and gynecological history. Increasing the concentration of IFNγ serum levels and spontaneous cytokine production is the earliest sign of acute infection in the women during pregnancy. These changes precede the increase in the IgG antibodies and assume normal values when the level of indirect marker of HSV rises. The lack of the IgM antibodies to the virus is not a strict criterion of inactive infection.
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Lvov
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Abdulmedzhidova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C573415:IFNG protein, human; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007371:Interferon-gamma