Transplacental congenital human herpesvirus 6 infection caused by maternal chromosomally integrated virus

J Infect Dis. 2010 Feb 15;201(4):505-7. doi: 10.1086/650495.

Abstract

Congenital human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection results from germline passage of chromosomally integrated HHV-6 (CI-HHV-6) and from transplacental passage of maternal HHV-6 infection. We aimed to determine whether CI-HHV-6 could replicate and cause transplacentally acquired HHV-6 infection. HHV-6 DNA, variant type, and viral loads were determined with samples (cord blood, peripheral blood, saliva, urine, and hair) obtained from 6 infants with transplacentally acquired HHV-6 and with samples of their parents' hair. No fathers but all mothers of infants with transplacentally acquired HHV-6 had CI-HHV-6, and the mother's CI-HHV-6 variant was the same variant causing the transplacentally acquired congenital HHV-6 infection. This suggests the possibility that CI-HHV-6 replicates and may cause most, if not all, congenital HHV-6 infections.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Herpesvirus 6, Human / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical*
  • Maternal-Fetal Exchange*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / genetics
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / virology*
  • Roseolovirus Infections / congenital
  • Roseolovirus Infections / genetics
  • Roseolovirus Infections / transmission
  • Roseolovirus Infections / virology*
  • Virus Integration*