Application of throat swab nested PCR in the diagnosis of congenital human cytome-galovirus infection in neonates

Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the clinical application value of throat swab nested PCR for detecting active congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in neonates. Methods The throat swabs and umbilical cord blood specimens from 51 neonates were collected for nested PCR assay for HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) gene. Moreover, 18 of them were subjected to a pp65 antigen test. Results The sensitivity and specificity of throat swab nested PCR for HCMV gB gene were 67% and 75%, respectively, and the positive and negative predictive values were 57% and 82%, respectively. Conclusions Throat swab nested PCR assay for HCMV gB gene is non-invasive, rapid, and highly sensitive for HCMV detection and holds promise as an excellent screening technology for detecting active congenital HCMV infection in neonates.