title: Cytomegalovirus Identification in Blood and Urine of Newborns by Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the frequency of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in newborns admitted to the Division of Neonatology, using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA to detect differences in blood and urine specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out for eight months. Newborns (n = 520) hospitalized in five hospitals in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, were checked for CMV by analysing blood and urine samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cytomegalovirus was PCR positive in 13 urine and 10 blood samples. Of the 13 positive urine patients, three (23%) had no clinical signs suggestive of CMV, and another three (23%) patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) had no definite findings of bacterial infection, with negative blood culture and some clinical signs consistent with CMV as cholestasis, hepatomegaly and eosinophilia. Three patients were on mechanical ventilation and showed improvement after prescription of ganciclovir. One CMV positive child progressed to death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytomegalovirus detection in urine was slightly more efficient than in blood, and showed better sensitivity than in serological analysis (p< 0.01) therefore, boiled urine may be a better and easier specimen tool for CMV diagnosis in neonatal infection. The findings of the present research suggest that patients admitted to the NICU, especially premature infants, whose laboratory results are not compatible with bacterial infection, and exhibiting signs suggestive of CMV infection should have PCR done on urine for confirmation.
authors.affiliation: UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, E-mail: paulaxavier80@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Niz Xavier
authors.affiliation: Dom Bosco Catholic University, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonçalves Vieira
authors.affiliation: Dom Bosco Catholic University, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Souza Arantes
authors.affiliation: Dom Bosco Catholic University, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.affiliation: UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Martinelli Tavares
authors.affiliation: UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Duarte Miglioli
authors.affiliation: UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Martimbianco Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: ICB/UFMG, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sousa Martins
authors.affiliation: UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bastista Palhares
keywords: Cytomegalovirus; neonatal infection; nested polymerase chain reaction; newborn