Antiviral antibody responses in mothers and their newborn infants with clinical and subclinical congenital cytomegalovirus infections

Article Abstract:

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a virus that can cause chronic infections in the uterus, is also the most frequent type of infection found among newborn children (congenital infection). Many of the children with CMV infections contract a virulent form, leading to permanent afflictions. The factors that alter transmission of the infection from mother to child and the severity of infection are not well understood. Women who have developed antibodies to CMV can still transmit the disease, but severe manifestations of the disease are seldom seen in such cases. However, other factors alter outcome of the disease, since only 10 to 15 percent of children born to women who are first infected while pregnant (and thus don't have antibodies) have the severe disease. Children with mild or severe forms of CMV and their mothers were studied to determine whether the types of antibodies they had developed were related to the severity of infection. Levels of IgG antibodies specifically reactive to the virus were higher in children with severe disease and in their mothers. CMV-reactive IgM antibodies, which exist for shorter periods of time than IgG in infected mothers, were higher in mothers of children who had milder infections, suggesting that they were infected later in pregnancy than the other group. The results reveal that lack of CMV-reactive antibodies was not responsible for severe CMV infection, and that other factors such as infection earlier in pregnancy may be important. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Maternal-fetal exchange, Causes of, Physiological aspects, Disease transmission, Cytomegalovirus infections, Cytomegaloviruses, Cytomegalovirus

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Viral markers in HIV infection and AIDS

Article Abstract:

Viral and immunologic markers have been used to monitor both the progression of HIV disease and the response to antiviral therapy. Ideally, viral markers should be present in all HIV-infected people at all stages of infection, be related to disease progression and be easily measured. They should also indicate correlations between disease progression and response to antiviral therapy, respond quickly and predictably to therapy and be readily developed for testing purposes. Viral markers currently available or being developed include anti-p24 antibody titer, HIV p24 antigenemia, quantitative DNA and RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and HIV isolate phenotype. HIV p24 antigen may be a useful indicator of seroconversion and of response to antiviral therapy. HIV p24 antigen, PCR and isolation have been used to diagnose HIV infection in infants.

Methods, Usage, Development and progression, HIV infection, HIV infections, Polymerase chain reaction, Biological monitoring

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