Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection among Pediatric Patients

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 1279

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Neonatologic Unit, Clinica Villa Margherita, Rome, Italy
2. Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
Interests: neonatal infections; surveillance; prevention and treatment; neonatal immunology

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Guest Editor
1. Research Area, Management Innovations and Clinical Pathways, Bambino Gesu’ Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
2. Fac Med & Surg, Microbiol Immunol Infect Dis & Transplants MIMIT, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
Interests: children; pediatrics; pediatric immunology

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Guest Editor
Research area, Management Innovations and Clinical Pathways, Bambino Gesu’ Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Interests: children; pediatrics; pediatric immunology

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Guest Editor
Research Area, Management Innovations and Clinical Pathways, Bambino Gesu’ Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Interests: children; pediatrics; pediatric immunology

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Guest Editor
Research Area, Management Innovations and Clinical Pathways, Bambino Gesu’ Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Interests: pregnancy and viral infections

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Guest Editor
Department of Neonatology, Cliniques Universitaires St Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
Interests: infections in neonates

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpesvirus family (Herpesviridae), which is highly widespread worldwide. It is estimated that the prevalence is particularly high in countries with a low level of economic development, where the prevalence in women of reproductive age can reach 85–100%. Children are particularly susceptible to CMV infections, and the prevalence rates among them reach 30% within the first five years of life. In general, CMV seroprevalence is higher among women, those in older age groups, people of low socioeconomic status, and in developing countries (1). Once contracted for the first time (primary infection), the virus remains latent in the body and the reactivation of the latent virus or infection with a different strain of CMV can occur at every stage of life (non-primary infection). The CMV infection of greatest concern is that contracted by a pregnant woman. The virus crosses the placenta with a different probability depending on the order of the infection: in primary infection, the probability of transmission ranges from 35 to 70%, and in the reactivation of the latent infection, it ranges from 0,5 to 1,5%. Fetal damage resulting from the transmission of the virus is of different intensity depending on the woman's gestational period. Today, drugs that can be administered both in pregnancy and in the first year of life are available that seem to prevent both maternal-fetal transmission of the virus and serious damage to the fetus/neonate. Therefore, the possibility of an early and accurate diagnosis in pregnancy and after birth represents a pre-requisite for the prevention of the outcomes of these maternal infections on the newborn and on the child.  In this Special Issue, we intend to deal with the diagnosis of first infections and reinfections in pregnancy, the possible feto-neonatal outcomes, the usefulness of universal newborn screening, hearing outcomes in the child, radiological diagnostics, and the type and duration of therapies.

Dr. Cinzia Auriti
Dr. Domenico Umberto De Rose
Dr. Iliana Bersani
Dr. Francesca Campi
Dr. Maria Paola Ronchetti
Prof. Dr. Fiammetta Piersigilli
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • congenital cytomegalovirus infections
  • cytomegalovirus
  • cytomegalovirus in pregnancy
  • newborns
  • sensory neural hearing loss
  • long-term outcomes

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 1975 KiB  
Article
Cytomegalovirus-Specific T Cells in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients
by Songpon Getsuwan, Nopporn Apiwattanakul, Chatmanee Lertudomphonwanit, Suradej Hongeng, Sophida Boonsathorn, Wiparat Manuyakorn, Pornthep Tanpowpong, Usanarat Anurathapan, Kanchana Tangnararatchakit and Suporn Treepongkaruna
Viruses 2023, 15(11), 2213; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15112213 - 04 Nov 2023
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Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major opportunistic infection after liver transplantation (LT) that necessitates monitoring. Because of the lack of studies in children, we aimed to investigate CMV-specific T cell immune reconstitution among pediatric LT recipients. The recipients were monitored for CMV infection [...] Read more.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major opportunistic infection after liver transplantation (LT) that necessitates monitoring. Because of the lack of studies in children, we aimed to investigate CMV-specific T cell immune reconstitution among pediatric LT recipients. The recipients were monitored for CMV infection and CMV-specific T cells from the start of immunosuppressive therapy until 48 weeks after LT. Clinically significant CMV viremia (csCMV) requiring preemptive therapy was defined as a CMV load of >2000 IU/mL. Peripheral blood CMV-specific T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry based on IFNγ secretion upon stimulation with CMV antigens including immediate early protein 1 (IE1) Ag, phosphoprotein 65 (pp65) Ag, and whole CMV lysate (wCMV). Of the 41 patients who underwent LT, 20 (48.8%) had csCMV. Most (17/20 patients) were asymptomatic and characterized as experiencing CMV reactivation. The onset of csCMV occurred approximately 7 weeks after LT (interquartile range: 4–12.9); csCMV rarely recurred after preemptive therapy. Lower pp65-specific CD8+ T cell response was associated with the occurrence of csCMV (p = 0.01) and correlated with increased viral load at the time of csCMV diagnosis (ρ = −0.553, p = 0.02). Moreover, those with csCMV had lower percentages of IE1-specific CD4+ and wCMV-reactive CD4+ T cells at 12 weeks after LT (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively). Despite intense immunosuppressive therapy, CMV-specific T cell immune reconstitution occurred in pediatric patients post-LT, which could confer protection against CMV reactivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection among Pediatric Patients)
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