Abstract

GODOY, Gerardo; ESPINOZA, Julio; HERNANDEZ DE CUESTA, Isabel  and  DEVERA, Rodolfo. Anti-cytomegalovirus antibodies in umbilical cord blood of newborns. Rev. Soc. Ven. Microbiol. [online]. 2007, vol.27, n.2, pp.85-89. ISSN 1315-2556.

Abstract Presence of IgG and IgM anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies in the serum of blood samples taken from umbilical cord  of newborns was investigated with a commercial immuno-enzymatic technique, quantifying the IgG concentration found by comparing its optical density with that of positive control samples containing 0, 0.4, 1.0, 4.0 and 10 IU/ml. Anti-CMV IgM was demonstrated after determining the cut-off optical density for anti-CMV IgM of the test, over which all values found would indicate anti-CMV IgM presence in the sample.  Anti CMV IgG was demonstrated in 196 of 204 (96.0%) of the samples studied but, in contrast, all the samples were negative for anti-CMV IgM. Anti-CMV IgG presence and anti-CMV IgM absence in the samples suggests that this immunoglobulin came from the mothers. If this is so, the percentage of maternal anti- CMV IgG serum positivity would be indicating a high index of endemicity for this infection in adult women of the area

Keywords : Cytomegalovirus; anti-cytomegalovirus antibodies; anti-cytomegalovirus IgG; cytomegalovirus in new borns.