[Clinical value of antenatal diagnosis of intrauterine active human cytomegalovirus infection with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction].

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical value of antenatal diagnosis of intrauterine active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

METHODS

The active HCMV infection of pregnant women was diagnosed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum Nest-PCR (N-PCR) and RT-PCR. The methods of antenatal diagnosis include villus sampling, amniocentesis and cordocentesis under ultrasound guidance. RT-PCR and N-PCR was used to screen fetal active infection.

RESULTS

The infection rate of chorionic villi and cord blood whose mother was in active infection is 53.3% (16/30) and 47.8% (33/69) respectively, whereas that whose mother just had infectious history is 8.3% (4/48), 9.7% (6/62) respectively, the differences are statistically significant respectively (P < 0.001). The active infection rate of chorionic villi and cord blood in maternal active infection group is 30.0% (9/30) and 29.0% (20/69) respectively, whereas that with infectious history is 4.2% (2/48) and 4.8% (3/62), the differences are statistically significant respectively (P < 0.001). In the active intrauterine infection, the incidence of abortion and premature delivery was 41.2% (14/34), significantly higher than that of the latent infection 8.0% (2/25, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Antenatal diagnosis of intrauterine active HCMV infection with RT-PCR and the means of sampling described are of safety and reliability. It has a great clinical value in management of the fetus whose mother had been in active HCMV infection.