Facts, Views & Vision
in ObGyn

Journal of the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy

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High susceptibility to cytomegalovirus infection of pregnant women in Flanders, Belgium

E. Leuridan1, M. Ieven2, N. Hens3, P. Van Damme1

1 Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein, 1a, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.

2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp.

3 Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan 1, 3590 Diepenbeek & CHERMID, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp.

Keywords:

Cord blood, cytomegalovirus, maternal antibodies, pregnancy, seroprevalence, transplacental transport.


Published online: Jun 29 2012

Abstract

Maternal antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection offer, to some extent, protection against congenital CMV infection. This study describes the seroprevalence of CMV-specific IgG in 220 parturient women during pregnancy, at delivery, at 3 months after delivery and in their cord blood (Flanders, Belgium, 2006-2008). ELISA was used to measure IgG. Of this population, 30% had positive IgG titres. Active transplacental transport was confirmed with a ratio 1.15/1. Elevated maternal IgG titre and increased parity, but not age, were significantly associated with higher seropreva- lence of CMV-specific IgG in the cord blood.

These data indicate a high susceptibility to CMV among fertile women. Prenatal prevention and other strategies to prevent intra-uterine infection are of critical importance in a highly susceptible population.