Monitoring of human cytomegalovirus DNAemia during primary infection in transmitter and non-transmitter mothers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It has been reported that maternal DNAemia is detectable in three quarters of pregnant women with acute/recent primary HCMV infections, with a higher median number of HCMV DNA copies/ml blood in transmitter as compared with non-transmitter mothers. STUDY DESIGN: The kinetics of HCMV DNA in blood of transmitter vs non-transmitter pregnant women with primary HCMV infection was retrospectively analyzed from their first blood sampling at referral up to amniocentesis strictly performed at 19-21 weeks' gestation. Monthly monitoring of maternal HCMV DNAemia was performed up to prenatal diagnosis. RESULTS: HCMV DNAemia was determined in 154 pregnant women. At amniocentesis, HCMV DNA in blood was positive in 42/50 (84.0%) amniotic fluid (AF) -positive and 21/104 (20.2%) AF-negative mothers (p<0.0001). The number of HCMV DNA copies/ml blood was not significantly different in AF-positive as compared with AF-negative mothers in the interval 0-30days post-infection (p=0.14). On the contrary, HCMV DNA load at 30-60days (p=0.03) and at 60-90days (p<0.001) after onset of infection was significantly different, as observed at amniocentesis (p