Prevalence of human papillomavirus and herpes simplex virus in amniotic fluid from pregnant women of Eastern Poland.

BACKGROUND

The exact route of human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) transmission from a pregnant woman to her fetus has not been clearly established thus far. The data of many studies raise the possibility of intrauterine infection. In order to clarify our knowledge about virus vertical transmission in pregnant women, viral prevalence in amniotic fluid cannot. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on HPV DNA and HSV DNA detection in amniotic fluid in Poland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study covered 138 samples of amniotic fluid from patients undergoing invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures (for medical indications) during the second trimester of gestation. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of HPV and HSV in the amniotic fluid samples obtained from asymptomatic women with intact amniotic membranes. To identify viral DNA of HPV and HSV in collected material, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed.

RESULTS

We did not find HPV or HSV DNA in any of the examined specimens of amniotic fluid.

CONCLUSION

Our investigation did not confirm the prenatal transmission of HPV and HSV to the amniotic fluid.