Prevalence of Cytomegalovirus IgG and IgM Antibodies in the Sera of Postpartum Women and Cord Sera of Newborn Babies and Their Correlation with Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

Using the ELISA technique, cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG and IgM values were measured in the sera of 176 subjects who delivered healthy term infants and in the cord sera of their newborn babies. IgG was positive in 149 of 176 maternal sera and in 6 of 176 newborn cord sera. The subjects were classified into three socioeconomic levels: high, moderate and low. The distribution of IgG and IgM positivity among the three groups revealed significant differences (p < 0.05). The fetus and the placenta are affected during primary and reactive infections in pregnancy. The percentage of IgM-positive infants delivered by IgM-positive patients was found to be highly significant. CMV IgG is not always protective against reinfection. In our study, IgM was positive in 24 women in spite of IgG positivity. The distribution of CMV seropositivity was not significantly different with regard to age and parity. CMV infection is an important risk factor in pregnancy as it is the most frequent congenital and early postnatal infectious agent.

Generation of a Novel High-Affinity Monoclonal Antibody with Conformational Recognition Epitope on Human IgM

“…For example, IgE rises in helminthic parasitic and allergic conditions like asthma [2], atopic dermatitis, and anaphylaxis [3]; IgG in identification of selective IgG subclass deficiencies and myeloma states [4]; and IgM in infection with Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy [5], Rubella [6], CMV [7] and so on. IgM antibodies, a class of immunoglobulins with high molecular weight (900 KD), are the first antibodies which appear in response to an initial exposure to an antigen and release into the blood.…”