A seromolecular study to determine the prevalence of cytomegalovirus in pregnant women referred to health centers in the north of Iran

Negin Mesgar Saravi; Faegheh Aghajani; Ahmad  Najafi; Rezvan Khajavi; Zahra Rahmani; Hossein Jalali; Tahoora Mousavi

doi:10.18502/ijm.v15i4.13514

Negin Mesgar Saravi Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center (MCBRC), Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Faegheh Aghajani Thalassemia Research Center, Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Ahmad Najafi Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center (MCBRC), Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Rezvan Khajavi Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center (MCBRC), Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Zahra Rahmani Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Hossein Jalali Thalassemia Research Center, Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Tahoora Mousavi Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center (MCBRC), Hemoglobinopathy Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v15i4.13514

Keywords: Seromolecular; Cytomegalovirus; Pregnant women; Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Because of the controversial aspects of the CMV virus during pregnancy, it should be con- sidered a serious health threat, especially in developing countries. The present seromolecular study aimed to determine cytomegalovirus prevalence in pregnant women referred to health centers in the north of Iran.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-five pregnant women who were referred to health centers in Mazandaran province for regular health checks were randomly selected from Jan 2022 to Oct 2022. To detect the presence of the CMV genome and specific IgM and IgG antibodies against cytomegalovirus, the conventional PCR and ELISA tests were applied respectively.

Results: All 125 pregnant women that attended the study were from Mazandaran province with a mean age of 30 years ranging from 20 to 42 years. The result showed that 2 (1.6%), 92 (73.6%), and 2 (1.6%) of the cases were positive for IgM, IgG, and IgM/IgG, respectively. The PCR test results indicated that the CMV DNA was present in 10 (8%) pregnant women. Our study shows that all PCR-positive cases were negative for the IgM test. Of the 10 PCR-positive samples 3 were positive and 1 was suspicious for the IgG test.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that there is an urgent need for vaccination or other strategies to prevent and treat congenital CMV infection. Reducing the burden of congenital CMV infection requires global awareness. Further studies are recom- mended to obtain accurate estimates of the risk of congenital CMV infection.