Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Screening of congenital cytomegalovirus infection by real-time PCR in urine pools

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most frequent cause of congenital infection. Despite the fact that 5–17% of asymptomatic infected babies will develop late sequelae and, therefore, should be closely followed, most of these children will remain undetected, as screening of all newborns by viral culture is too expensive and no valid alternative has been widely accepted. The aim of this work was to demonstrate that pool testing can be used to screen HCMV congenital infection in newborns. For this purpose, a real-time PCR technique was tested in urine pools. This pool method was applied to all urine specimens from children received in the virology laboratory of the Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira for diagnosis of HCMV infection for a period of 14 months. Ten out of the 160 urine samples were tested positive by shell-vial culture and were also detected by this pool method. Additionally, 100 urine specimens, collected in 2004 and culture negative for HCMV were included to test the specificity of this methodology, all of which were negative. In conclusion, these results suggest that urine pools can be used to detect HCMV-positive urines in children, with similar sensitivity and specificity when compared with the standard method. Because of the very significant reduction both in terms of labour and cost of testing materials, this methodology may represent a valid option for screening the HCMV congenital infection in newborns.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Allain JP (2000) Genomic screening for blood-borne viruses in transfusion settings. Clin Lab Haematol 22:1–10

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Barbi M, Binda S, Caroppo S et al (2006) Neonatal screening for congenital cytomegalovirus infection and hearing loss. J Clin Virol 35(2):206–269

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Boppana SB, Fowler KB, Pass RF et al (2005) Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: association between virus burden in infancy and hearing loss. J Pediatr 146:817–823

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Boppana SB, Rivera LB, Fowler KB et al (2001) Intrauterine transmission of cytomegalovirus to infants of women with preconceptional immunity. N Engl J Med 344(18):1366–1371

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Demmler G (1991) Summary of a workshop on surveillance for congenital cytomegalovirus disease. Rev Infect Dis 13:315–329

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Demmler GJ (2005) Screening for congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a tapestry of controversies. J Pediatr 146(2):162–164

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Dollard S, Schleiss M, Grosse SD (2010) Public health and laboratory considerations regarding newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus. J Inherit Metab Dis 33(Suppl 2):S249–S254

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Espy MJ, Uhl JR, Sloan LM et al (2006) Real-time PCR in clinical microbiology: applications for routine laboratory testing. Clin Microbiol Rev 19(1):165–256

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gleaves C, Smith T, Shuster E et al (1985) Comparison of standard tube and shell vial cell culture techniques for the detection of cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens. J Clin Microbiol 21:217–221

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Grosse SD, Dollard S, Ross DS et al (2009) Newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus: options for hospital-based and public health programs. J Clin Virol 46(suppl 4):32–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kennedy CR, McCann DC, Campbell MJ et al (2006) Language ability after early detection of permanent childhood hearing impairment. N Engl J Med 354(20):2131–2141

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lazzarotto T, Varani S, Gabrielli L et al (1999) New advances in the diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Intervirology 42:390–397

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Leruez-Ville M, Vauloup-Fellous C, Couderc S et al (2011) Prospective identification of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in newborns using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays in dried blood spots. Clin Infect Dis 52(5):575–581

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Paixão P, Almeida S, Gouveia P et al (2005) Diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection by detection of viral DNA in urine pools. J Virol Meth 128:1–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Paixāo P, Almeida S, Gouveia P et al (2009) Prevalence of human cytomegalovirus congenital infection in Portuguese newborns. Euro Surveill 14(9):13–15

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Revello MG, Zavattoni M, Baldanti F et al (1999) Diagnostic and prognostic value of human cytomegalovirus load and IgM antibody in blood of congenitally infected newborns. J Clin Virol 14:57–66

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Soetens O, Vauloup-Fellous C, Foulon I et al (2008) Evaluation of different cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA PCR protocols for analysis of dried blood spots from consecutive cases of neonates with congenital CMV infections. J Clin Microbiol 46(3):943–946

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yow M (1989) Congenital cytomegalovirus disease: a now problem. J Infect Dis 2:163–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), Campo Mártires da Pátria 130, 1169–056, Lisbon, Portugal

    Paulo Paixão & Teresa Marques

  2. Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Centro Hospitalar Cova da Beira, Quinta do Alvito, 6200–074, Covilhã, Portugal

    Sofia Almeida

  3. Departamento de Imunologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Chronic Diseases Research Center (CEDOC), Campo Mártires da Pátria 130, 1169–056, Lisbon, Portugal

    Paula A. Videira

  4. Centro de Histocompatibilidade do Sul, Hospital Pulido Valente, Alameda das Linhas de Torres, no. 117, 1769–001, Lisbon, Portugal

    Dário Ligeiro

  5. Laboratório de Microbiologia do Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Rua da Junqueira, 126, 1349–019, Lisbon, Portugal

    Teresa Marques

Authors
  1. Paulo Paixão
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sofia Almeida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paula A. Videira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dário Ligeiro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Teresa Marques
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paulo Paixão.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Paixão, P., Almeida, S., Videira, P.A. et al. Screening of congenital cytomegalovirus infection by real-time PCR in urine pools. Eur J Pediatr 171, 125–129 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-011-1496-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-011-1496-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation