Intrauterine Cytomegalovirus Infection and Glycoprotein B Genotypes

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 182; no. 3; pp. 933 - 936
• Main Authors: Bale, James F., Murph, Jody R., Demmler, Gail J., Dawson, Jeff, Miller, June E., Petheram, Susan J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01-09-2000; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Concise Communications; Cytomegalovirus; Cytomegalovirus - genetics; Cytomegalovirus infections; Cytomegalovirus Infections - congenital; Cytomegalovirus Infections - genetics; Cytomegalovirus Infections - transmission; Disease Progression; Female; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Genotypes; Glycoproteins; Health outcomes; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infections; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Infectious diseases; Jaundice; Male; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Nervous system diseases; Polymerase chain reaction; Pregnancy; Viral diseases; Viral Envelope Proteins - genetics; Human; Infection; Virus; Congenital; Herpesviridae; Viral disease; Genotype; Infant; Betaherpesvirinae; Clinical isolate; Human cytomegalovirus
• DOI: 10.1086/315770
• EISSN: 1537-6613
• ISSN: 0022-1899

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) strains display polymorphisms for the gene encoding glycoprotein B (gB; gpUL55). Recent data suggest that the gB genotype may influence the outcome of acquired CMV infections. To determine whether the gB genotype also contributes to the outcome of intrauterine infection, CMV strains were studied from 56 infants with cultureconfirmed intrauterine CMV infections who were born in Iowa or Texas. CMV gB genotypes were compared with the neonatal clinical features and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Fiftythree strains (95%) could be assigned a gB genotype. The overall distribution of genotypes was as follows: type 1, 50%; type 2, 18%; type 3, 23%; and type 4, 4%. Strains with the gB 3 genotype were more common among the Iowa infants (P = .082). The gB 3 genotype was more common among infants with asymptomatic infections (P = .004), but geographic location and ascertainment biases may have accounted for these differences. The gB genotypes did not correlate with the neurodevelopmental outcome of intrauterine infection.