title: Seroprevalence of Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in pregnant women and outcomes of pregnancies with active infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of cytomegalovirus in pregnant women and types of overt congenital infection in neonates.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Federal Government Services Hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, from March 2010 to June 2011, and comprised blood samples of pregnant women. Seroprevalence of human cytomegalovirus, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay while its deoxyribonucleic acid was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction.The congenital human cytomegalovirus infection was also identified in newborn babies from actively infected pregnant women. SPSS 18 was used for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 409 pregnant women enrolled, 399(97.55%) were seropositive for cytomegalovirus immunoglobulinG and 52(12.71%) for immunoglobulinM, while cytomegalovirus deoxyribonucleic acid was detected in 82(20%). Of the cytomegalovirus immunoglobulinM-positive women, sera of 40(80%) had immunoglobulinG avidity >50%. The remaining 12(23%) sera had avidity assay value <50%. Among the 82(20%) infected pregnant women, 70(85.4%) were successfully followed up. Among them, the virus was isolated from 41(58.5%) newborns babies, of which 15(21%) were symptomatic while 26(47.2%) were asymptomatic. Of the former, 4(26.6%) had hepatosplenomegaly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Human cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant women was the main reason of congenital defects among neonates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ghulam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mujtaba
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shahzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaukat
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mehar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angez
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Masroor
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Fariha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Sohail
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zahoor Zaidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aamer Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D058345:Asymptomatic Infections; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
keywords: Human cytomegalovirus, Congenital HCMV infection, Seroprevalence, Hepatosplenomegaly.