Cmv Glycoprotein B Gene Polymorphism

The clinical manifestations in cytomegalovirus infected-infants vary from asymptomatic illness to highly fatal cytomegalic inclusion disease. The influence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strains on the outcome of HCMV disease is poorly explored. The present study was undertaken to explore the role of gB genotypes with clinical features in infants with clinically suspected HCMV disease. Urine samples of 71 infants (age <1 year) with clinically suspected HCMV disease were subjected to amplification of glycoprotein B (gB) gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism using RsaI and HinfI. HCMV DNA could be detected in 12 samples by gB gene PCR, 6 of which comprised of gB2, followed by gB1 in 5 samples and gB3 in 1 sample. Organomegaly was the most common finding (67%) followed by jaundice (50%), pneumonia (50%), seizures (42%), microcephaly (25%), low birth weight (25%) and rashes (17%). No particular genotype was significantly associated with specific clinical presentation or organ system involvement. infection during pregnancy could either be due to host or viral factors. The gestational age and nature of CMV infection (primary/ secondary) in mother during pregnancy are among the important host factors that have been well associated with the fetal outcome. However, the association of disease spectrum with viral factors needs to be explored. Several genetically different strains of HCMV are known to circulate in the human population, among which glycoprotein B, H, N (gB, gH, gN) genes are commonly used for CMV genotyping (Chou and Dennison, 1991; Fries et al, 1994; Pignatelli et al, 2003). Clinical observations in different groups of patients, including bone marrow transplant recipients, allograft recipients, and HIV infected patients, have suggested that different gB and gN genotypes of HCMV strains might have some role in clinical severity and INTRODUCTION Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a member of family Herpesviridae and subfamily β-herpesvirinae, is known for infection in immunocompromised individuals and infants. HCMV is the most frequently associated virus with congenital infection accounting for 0.3-2.5% of live births throughout the world (Demmler, 2004). Among the HCMV infected infants approximately 10% develop cytomegalic inclusion disease with a mortality rate of up to 30% (Stagno, 1990). The varied outcome of fetal SOUTHEAST ASIAN J TROP MED PUBLIC HEALTH 760 Vol 40 No. 4 July 2009 outcome of HCMV infection (Fries et al, 1994; Rasmussen et al, 1997). However, the association of gB and gN genotypes with disease spectrum among congenitally/perinatally infected infants with HCMV has remained controversial (Bale et al, 2000; Barbi et al, 2001). Hence, the present study was undertaken to study CMV gB gene polymorphism and its association with clinical presentations in children with clinically suspected CMV disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS