Assessment of ELISA and PCR in Detection of Cytomegalovirus Viremia in Pregnant Women

Background: Maternal infection with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy is frequently associated with transplacental transmission to the fetus. Early diagnosis of CMV in pregnant women is necessary to get effective treatment and prevent fetal complications. Objective: The present study aimed to assess the use of PCR and compare it with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of CMV infections in pregnant women. Methodology: Forty six pregnant women were included in this study ranging in age from 20-35 years selected from patients attending outpatient clinic of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department at Sohag University Hospital, over a six month period. They were tested for the presence of CMV DNA in their blood by PCR and specific antibodies to CMV by ELISA. The results obtained were recorded to evaluate the best technique to detect CMV infection. Results: Out of 46 subjects in this study, 37(80. 4%) cases had positive results for ELISA anti CMV (IgG) and 15(32.6%) cases had positive results for ELISA anti CMV (IgM). Two cases (4.3%) had positive PCR results, and 44 cases (95.7 %) were negative. Sensitivity & Specificity of ELISA IgG were 100 % & 20.6% respectively and of IgM was 100% & 70.5% respectively when compared with PCR. Conclusion: The results suggest that screening pregnant women for CMV antibodies using ELISA is a specific and sensitive tool for the early identi¬fication of patients exposed to CMV. This information can be used as an alarm for babies at high risk of developing serious disabilities.