PMID- 10738135
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20000518
LR  - 20191103
IS  - 1386-6532 (Print)
IS  - 1386-6532 (Linking)
VI  - 16
IP  - 3
DP  - 2000 May
TI  - Epidemiology of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection in pregnant and nonpregnant 
      women.
PG  - 149-57
AB  - BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a ubiquitous virus primarily 
      associated with benign conditions such as febrile syndromes and exanthem subitum 
      (roseola infantum). Sexual, horizontal, and vertical transmission have been 
      suggested. Little information is available regarding HHV-6 infection in women of 
      reproductive age. OBJECTIVE: Describe epidemiology of HHV-6 infection in pregnant 
      and nonpregnant women. STUDY DESIGN: The study sample consisted of 569 women, age 
      18-45, who attended a university family planning clinic (nonpregnant, n=224) and 
      two obstetrics clinics (pregnant [first trimester], n=345) in San Antonio, TX 
      between October 1995 and May 1998. Blood and a vaginal swab, as well as 
      sociodemographic information, were collected from each participant. Plasma was 
      tested for HHV-6 IgG antibodies using a standard immunofluorescence assay (IFA). 
      Lysed material from vaginal swabs was tested for HHV-6 DNA by polymerase chain 
      reaction (PCR). Products were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and 
      positive tests were confirmed by repeat PCR followed by Southern analysis. 
      PCR-positive samples were subtyped using an established method. RESULTS: All 
      subjects were HHV-6 antibody positive. Geometric mean titers of HHV-6 antibodies 
      were significantly higher among nonpregnant versus pregnant women. Moreover, a 
      higher proportion of nonpregnant versus pregnant women had antibody titers >/=160 
      and >/=320. This association persisted even after adjusting for a number of 
      sociodemographic and clinical factors. Low rates of HHV-6 shedding in the genital 
      tract were observed for both groups (pregnant, 7/297 [2.0%]; nonpregnant, 8/214 
      [3.7%]). Of 14 samples subtyped, four (29%) were subtype A. CONCLUSION: The 
      present study showed that 100% of the study sample was infected with HHV-6. 
      Higher HHV-6 antibody titers, however, were noted in nonpregnant women. Both 
      groups shed virus at low rates in the genital tract. HHV-6 subtype A was 
      identified more commonly than previously reported. Further longitudinal studies 
      are required to assess the consequences of maternal HHV-6 infection.
FAU - Baillargeon, J
AU  - Baillargeon J
AD  - Departments of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San 
      Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, USA.
FAU - Piper, J
AU  - Piper J
FAU - Leach, C T
AU  - Leach CT
LA  - eng
GR  - AI-35710/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - J Clin Virol
JT  - Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American 
      Society for Clinical Virology
JID - 9815671
RN  - 0 (Antibodies, Viral)
RN  - 0 (DNA, Viral)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Antibodies, Viral/*blood
MH  - DNA, Viral/analysis
MH  - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
MH  - Female
MH  - Herpesviridae Infections/*epidemiology/virology
MH  - *Herpesvirus 6, Human/genetics/immunology/isolation & purification
MH  - Humans
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Polymerase Chain Reaction
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/*epidemiology/virology
EDAT- 2000/03/30 09:00
MHDA- 2000/05/20 09:00
CRDT- 2000/03/30 09:00
PHST- 2000/03/30 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2000/05/20 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2000/03/30 09:00 [entrez]
AID - S1386653299000864 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/s1386-6532(99)00086-4 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Clin Virol. 2000 May;16(3):149-57. doi: 10.1016/s1386-6532(99)00086-4.