RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION AND RECURRENT PREGNANCY LOSS

Belques Sharaf Al-Huraibi; Khaled Abdulkareem Al-Moyed; Khaled Abdulkareem Al-Moyed; Sami Mohammed Abdo Hassan; Anwar G Al-Madhaji; Ahmed Yahia Al-Jaufy; Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy; Amirh Abdullah Sa'aed Aljabri; Naif Mohammed Al-Haidary

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v10i5.1419

Belques Sharaf Al-Huraibi Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Yemen
Khaled Abdulkareem Al-Moyed Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Khaled Abdulkareem Al-Moyed Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Sami Mohammed Abdo Hassan Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Anwar G Al-Madhaji Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Ahmed Yahia Al-Jaufy Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Amirh Abdullah Sa'aed Aljabri Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Naif Mohammed Al-Haidary Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.

10.22270/ujpr.v10i5.1419

Keywords:

cytomegalovirus, infection, recurrent pregnancy loss, Sana’a, Yemen

Abstract

Background and aims: Pregnancy loss and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection have been linked in several studies. It is unclear, therefore, if recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is linked to latent or recurrent CMV infection or a changed immunological response to CMV. We compared women with RPL to healthy controls to assess CMV infection and the level (titer) of CMV antibodies.

Materials and Methods: In this comparative study, 149 women with recurrent miscarriage, referred to gynecology clinics in Sana'a, Yemen, and 149 multiparous women of the same age who had never had a miscarriage served as controls. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess IgG and IgM antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well as IgG levels in patients and controls. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Student's t-tests.

Results: The study found that the majority of patients with recurrent miscarriage were in the 20-24 age group (34.9%), followed by the 15-19 age group (25.5%) and the 30+ age group (22.1%). The prevalence of CMV IgM indicating current CMV infection was 5.3% in RPL cases, with the highest prevalence in cases aged ≥30 years (6.1%), followed by 20-24 years (5.8%) and 15-19 years (5.2%). The control group had a 3.4% positive IgM rate. No significant difference in IgG-CMV antibody prevalence between patients and controls, with a crude prevalence of 97.98% in the patient group and 97.3% in healthy controls. Patients aged ≥ 30 had a lower prevalence of IgG (93.9%). The study found significant differences in IgM antibody levels between patients and controls. Patients had higher IgM antibodies than controls; also, CMV-IgM-positive cases had higher IgM antibodies.

Conclusions: According to the current study's findings, RPL had a somewhat greater level of prior CMV exposure than controls, as shown by positive IgG antibodies. Nonetheless, we discovered a statistically significant correlation between elevated IgG levels and RPL, with patients exhibiting higher antibody levels than healthy controls. We can therefore conclude that hyper-response (greater IgG titers) to a comparable number of CMV exposures may be another risk factor, and that repeated exposure to CMV is a risk factor for RPL.