Key result
Maternal HSV-2 placental infection is linked to higher umbilical cord IgG titers.
Why the study?
HSV-2 infection can infect the placenta and fetus in pregnant women, but the correlation between maternal and cord blood IgG and placental infection in asymptomatic women was unclear.
Observational
Newborns from mothers with HSV-2 placental infection have higher IgG titers in umbilical cord sera, suggesting these antibodies can indicate placental viral infection in asymptomatic women.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May reflect enhanced transplacental IgG transfer in HSV-2 infection; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before clinical relevance.
PROBLEM: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide and is mainly sexually transmitted. When infecting pregnant women, HSV-2 is able to infect the placenta, can reach the fetus, and may affect the fetal development. We sought to determine the prevalence of HSV-2 infection and reactivation in asymptomatic pregnant women, the correlation between IgG in the maternal circulation and cord blood, and the correlation between circulating IgG, placental, and newborn infection (blood cord). METHOD OF STUDY: Serum samples and placental tissues from pregnant women and umbilical cord blood samples from their newborns were collected. Anti-HSV-2 antibodies were identified by ELISA, and HSV-2 DNA was detected by nested PCR. RESULTS: The seropositivity of IgG in pregnant women was 29.7% and IgM was detected in 1 woman (0.5%). In the umbilical cord of newborns, 33.1% were IgG-positive and IgM was detected in 2 samples (1.5%). A positive correlation between HSV-2 IgG titers in serum from pregnant women and cord blood samples was found (r = .36, P = .001). A difference between the positive and negative placental groups (maternal side) was found in titers of IgG in sera of umbilical cord, which were significantly higher in the positive placental group (P = .004). CONCLUSION: We describe for the first time that newborns from mothers with HSV-2 placental infection have higher IgG titers in sera of umbilical cord, suggesting IgGs antibodies can be indicative of placental viral infection in asymptomatic women.
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Finger‐Jardim et al. (2018) conducted an observational in Asymptomatic pregnant women. HSV-2 placental infection vs. No HSV-2 placental infection was evaluated on Titers of IgG in sera of umbilical cord (p=0.004). Newborns from mothers with HSV-2 placental infection had significantly higher IgG titers in umbilical cord sera compared to those without placental infection (P=0.004).
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