AIM:To study the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine Reduqing on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). METHODS:The expression of the HCMV late-mRNA in infected cells was measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and the development of cytopathic effect (CPE) caused by HCMV was observed before and after treatment with Reduqing. On the basis of its anti-HCMV activity study in vitro, Reduqing was applied to the child-bearing aged women and pregnant women who were HCMV-IgM positive which indicated the active HCMV infection. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) before and after treatment were measured by the ELISA method. RESULTS:The results showed that the Reduqing had a strong inhibitory effect on both HCMV-mRNA and CPE. The level of the TNF-α increased while IL-2 decreased significantly in HCMV-IgM positive serum when compared with HCMV-IgM negative cases. In HCMV-IgM positive patients, after treatment with Reduqing, the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-2 returned to normal, and 73 % of them turned to be HCMV-IgM negative, which was significantly higher than that (14 %) in control group. CONCLUSION:It is suggested that serum TNF-α and IL-2 level are closely related to the activity of HCMV. Reduqing can enhance the immunity of the body and has an obvious inhibition on HCMV in vitro and in vivo, and can thus serve as an effective medicine for active HCMV infection therapy, especially for the pregnant women.

AIM: To investigate whether human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) regulate human embryonic lung fibroblast(HEL) cell proliferation and apoptosis by activating NF-?B. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were used to detect the NF-?B translocation and/or Bcl-2 and the levels of I-?B? during HCMV infection. Apoptotic cell were examined by flow cytometry, and the HEL cell proliferation was determined by MTT. RESULTS: The levels of NF-?B in the nucleus reached highly 48 h postinfection, and the levels of I-?B? were low 24 h postinfection. The activity of NF-?B was inhibited 120 h postinfection. The levels of bcl-2 was accorded with the activity of NF-?B. HCMV promoted HEL cells to proliferate before 72 h postinfection and induced apoptosis 120 h postinfection. CONCLUSION: NF-?B plays a role in HEL cell proliferation and apoptosis during HCMV infection, and it involves in the pathological mechanisms of diseases associated with HCMV infection.

Objective To study the state of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and the vertical transmission between pregnant women and their fetus/newborns. Methods ELISA was applied to screen HSV specific antibodies in 455 pregnant women. HSV type 2 DNA was detected by PCR technique in the tissues and appendages of fetus, whose mothers had positive HSV IgM and/or type 2 IgG antibodies. Results The infective rate of HSV types1 and 2 during pregnancy were 85.27% and 47.69%, respectively. The intrauterine infective rate was 4.24%. The positive rate of HSV type 2 IgG in the pregnant women with history of abnormal pregnancy was significantly higher than that in the control group. HSV type 2 DNA was found in the amniotic fluid and tissues of placenta and fetus. Conclusion The HSV infection was common during pregnancy. HSV type 2 infection was closely related to the abnormal pregnancy, such as abort, premature delivery and malformation. ELISA combined with PCR technique is a valuable method for the diagnosis of HSV infection.

To further investigate the vertical transmission route of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the indication for the choice of mode of delivery, the infective status of 152 asymptomatic pregnant wemen and the maternal-fetal transmission were studied. By using general primers in polymerase chain reaction (GP-PCR) combined with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, HPV DNA positive rate in cervical secretions and venous blood in asymptomatic pregnant women was 36.21% and 52.78%, respectively, and the identified genotypes were mainly HPV16 and 18. The maternal-fetal transmission rate of HPV via genital tract as well as blood was 40.91% and 57. 89%, respectively. It was concluded that besides the transmission route of genital tract and amniotic fluid, there was also transplacental transmission of HPV in utero. Therefore,in our opinion, it is not an absolut indication to perform a cesarean delivery for the pregnant women with HPV asymtomatic genital infection.
DNA, Viral/analysis ; Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Female Urogenital Diseases/*virology ; *Papillomaviridae/isolation & purification ; Papillomavirus Infections/*transmission ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/*virology

Summary: To further investigate the vertical transmission route of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the indication for the choice of mode of delivery, the infective status of 152 asymptomatic pregnant wemen and the maternal-fetal transmission were studied. By using general primers in polymerase chain reaction (GP-PCR) combined with restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, HPV DNA positive rate in cervical secretions and venous blood in asymptomatic pregnant women was 36.21 % and 52.78 %, respectively, and the identified genotypes were mainly HPV16 and 18. The maternal-fetal transmission rate of HPV via genital tract as well as blood was 40.91 % and 57.89 %, respectively. It was concluded that besides the transmission route of genital tract and amniotic fluid, there was also transplacental transmission of HPV in utero. Therefore,in our opinion, it is not an absolut indication to perform a cesarean delivery for the pregnant women with HPV asymtomatic genital infection.

OBJECTIVETo study the diagnostic value of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) late mRNA detection in active intrauterine infection.

METHODSThe HCMV late mRNA in peripheral blood of 42 HCMV IgM positive pregnant women and their fetal attachments (such as chorionic villi, amniotic fluid, umbilical blood and placenta) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSLate mRNA was detected in 23 of 42 HCMV IgM positive cases, a rate of 54.3%. Fetal appendages in 13 cases of late mRNA positive mothers were also tested, of which 7 were positive, with a vertical transmission rate of 53.8%. In 12 late mRNA negative mothers, only 1 case of fetal appendages tested was positive, with a vertical transmission rate of 8.3%. There was significant difference between the transmission rates of these two groups.

CONCLUSIONSPositive results of HCMV IgM cannot accurately reflect the activity of HCMV at the time of testing. However, the activity of HCMV is closely related to the mother-fetus vertical transmission rate. As an indicator of active HCMV infection, late mRNA can not only reflect the mother-fetus transmission rate during active HCMV infection, but also provide some information about HCMV activity in fetal tissue.

Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Cytomegalovirus ; genetics ; immunology ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; diagnosis ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The value of ELISA, N-PCR and RT-PCR in clinical practice for pregnant women with HCMV infection was investigated. 5581 pregnant women were screened by ELISA. Among them, 100 cases were positive for IgM (group 1), 69 for both IgM and serous DNA (group 2) and 69 for both IgM and mRNA (group 3). The infectious status, maternal-fetal transmission and pregnancy outcome were monitored. It was demonstrated that the accordance rate of group 3 and group 2 with group 1 was 56.25% and 43.75%, respectively. The maternal-fetal transmission rate in the group 1, 2 and 3 was 19.00%, 40.58% and 46.15%, respectively, with a significant difference found between group 2, 3 and group 1 (P < 0.01). Incidence of spontaneous abortion, fetal death, fetal abnormality and neonatal death in group 1, 2 and 3 was 10.00%, 15.94% and 30.77%, respectively, and that of group 3, 2 was 4 and 2 times as much as that of group 1, respectively (OR = 4.00, P < 0.001; OR = 2.343, P < 005, respectively). It was concluded that HCMV-IgM(+) can only be considered as an screening indicator for pregnant women with HCMV infection, while IgM(+) combined with serous DNA(+) or mRNA(+) indicates active infection and has a high incidence of maternal-fetal transmission and abnormal pregnancy outcome.
Adult ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Cytomegalovirus ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; diagnosis ; transmission ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; virology ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction