ABSTRACT
Viral infections during pregnancy may cause fetal or neonatal damage. Clinical intervention, which is required for certain viral infections, relies on laboratory tests performed during pregnancy and at the neonatal stage. This review describes traditional and advanced laboratory approaches and testing methods used for assessment of the six most significant viral infections during pregnancy: rubella virus (RV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), parvovirus B19 and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Interpretation of the laboratory tests results according to studies published in recent years is discussed.
Subject(s)
Clinical Laboratory Techniques , Cytomegalovirus Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/diagnosis , Herpes Simplex/diagnosis , Herpes Zoster/diagnosis , Parvoviridae Infections/diagnosis , Rubella/diagnosis , Cytomegalovirus Infections/blood , Cytomegalovirus Infections/complications , Female , HIV Infections/blood , HIV Infections/complications , Herpes Simplex/blood , Herpes Simplex/complications , Herpes Zoster/blood , Herpes Zoster/complications , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Parvoviridae Infections/blood , Parvoviridae Infections/complications , Parvovirus B19, Human , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/virology , Rubella/blood , Rubella/complications , Rubella/congenitalABSTRACT
In the course of 6 years, 23 otherwise healthy patients with acute febrile illness and leukopenia were diagnosed as having acute parvovirus B19 infection. Five of these patients had agranulocytosis associated with acute parvovirus B19 infection and one had chronic agranulocytosis due to persistent parvovirus B19 infection. The diagnosis was made after positive anti-parvovirus B19 IgM antibodies were found in all of the patients and viral DNA was detected by PCR in four patients. Neutropenia and agranulocytosis appear to be much more frequently associated with parvovirus B19 infection than previously reported.
