[Therapy or prevention of fetal infection by cytomegalovirus with immunoglobulin infusion in pregnant women with primary infection].

OBJECTIVE: Administration of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunoglobulins to pregnant women with primary CMV infection in order to inhibit viral activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We considered 2 groups of patients including 24 pregnant women.

GROUP A: 12 women with primary maternal-fetal CMV infection, shown by CMV culture and CMV DNA detection in 9 (75%) and by only CMV DNA detection in 3 (25%) of the amniotic fluid (AF) samples. These pregnant women were treated with infusions of CMV-specific immunoglobulins (200 U/Kg of maternal weight and 400 U/Kg of fetal weight to prevent CMV pneumonia and gastroenteritis). As control group we considered 15 pregnant women, 5 of whom had CMV-positive AF samples demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 10 also by CMV culture.

GROUP B: 12 women with primary CMV infection, who were treated with monthly infusions of specific immunoglobulins to prevent the transmission of CMV to the fetus. In the control group we followed up 53 patients who were not treated, including 15 subjects with CMV-positive AF samples, 20 with CMV-negative AF samples and 18 women who did not accept amniocentesis.

GROUP A: All 9 neonates born to mothers with culture and DNA positive AF samples were CMV infected. On the contrary, the babies born to 3 women with only PCR-positive amniotic fluid were CMV-negative by culture and DNA detection. Of 9 neonates infected, 8 were asymptomatic and 3 became culture-negative before they were one year old. The only symptomatic baby (IUGR and ventriculomegaly diagnosed by ultrasound during the pregnancy) was treated with ganciclovir and foscarnet. Of 15 non-treated patients, 11 had ultrasound signs of placental and/or fetal CMV involvement. Seven of these (46%) aborted and 4 (27%) delivered neonates with severe symptomatic infection. The other 4 patients delivered oligo-symptomatic CMV infected neonates positive by culture or PCR only. Overall, the prevalence of symptomatically infected neonates or fetuses was significantly higher (p = 0.02) among non-treated than treated women. Moreover, the babies of treated women showed less prolonged (p = 0.01) viruria than those of non-treated patients.

GROUP B: all 11 pregnant women, treated with immunoglobulins delivered CMV-negative neonates. One patient, who had interrupted infusions at the 24th gestation week, delivered an asymptomatic CMV infected baby. In the control group, 4 women with CMV-negative AF samples delivered neonates with asymptomatic infection. Of 18 patients who did not undergo amniocentesis, 9 (50%) aborted; of remaining 9 women, 3 (33%) delivered CMV infected neonates.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that CMV immunoglobulins may be effective for treatment or prevention of fetal CMV infection.