OUTCOMES OF INFANTS WHOSE MOTHERS ARE POSITIVE FOR HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-6 DNA WITHIN THE GENITAL-TRACT IN EARLY GESTATION

It has been reported that HHV-6 (human herpesvirus-6) DNA has been ide ntified within the female genital tract. However, the clinical signifi cance of this finding has been unclear. The clinical outcome of the pr esence of HHV-6 DNA in the genital tract of pregnant women on their in fants was evaluated in the present study. One hundred and ten pregnant women were enrolled. Vaginal swabs were collected between 4 and 8 wee ks of gestation and the presence or absence of HHV-6 DNA was evaluated by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). The swabs were cultured t o isolate the virus. The women were divided into two groups: HHV-6 DNA -positive, and negative. The outcome variables of the infants of these two groups were statistically estimated at birth and at 1 month of ag e. Saliva and blood cells were collected from the infants at birth and at 1 month of age and were also evaluated by nPCR. HHV-6 DNA was dete cted in the vaginal swabs of 28 pregnant women (25.5%), but was not de tected in any other samples, including saliva and blood cells from the ir infants. Virus could not be isolated from any vaginal samples. Any outcome variables were not significantly different between the two gro ups. The presence of HHV-6 DNA within the genital tract of pregnant wo men did not affect the health of their infants. It is suggested that H HV-6 transmission to infants through the genital tract of their mother s during pregnancy does not occur, or only very rarely.