Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: Maternal-Child HLA-C, HLA-E, and HLA-G Affect Clinical Outcome

Establishment of Rapid Detection Methods for rs76971248 Related to Leukemia

Background

The HLA-E gene is a member of the HLA-I gene family. Its genetic polymorphism is regarded as associated with numerous diseases. Establishing a rapid and accurate detection method of disease-related SNP sites in HLA-E is particularly important.

Methods

Blood samples from 226 healthy blood donors and 228 leukemia patients were collected, and DNA was extracted. Three typing methods based on PCR-sequence-based typing, TaqMan genotyping, and high-resolution melting curve were established to identify rs76971248 (G>T). The Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis by SPSS.

Results

Three methods based on PCR-SBT, TaqMan genotyping, and HRM were all able to identify rs76971248. The software for analyzing the results of HLA-E sequencing was easy to use, and the results were accurate. The frequency of rs76971248 in different types of leukemia patients was significantly lower than that in healthy blood donors (p < 0.05). And the frequency of the G/G genotype in leukemia patients was significantly higher than that in healthy blood donors (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

For the screening of known SNP sites in large-scale populations, among the three methods, the TaqMan genotyping method had the advantage of shortest time consumption, simplest operation, and greatest specificity, which was the most appropriate method for this experiment. The analysis software for HLA-E gene sequencing needed to be further optimized. rs76971248 had a protective effect against leukemia. And the G/G genotype was a risk factor for leukemia.

Risk factors associated with the vertical transmission of cytomegalovirus in seropositive pregnant women

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is the leading cause of childhood disabilities. More recent data indicates that cCMV following maternal nonprimary infection occurs frequently and can cause similar rates of sequelae as those following maternal primary infection. However, the risks associated with cCMV especially in CMV-seropositive women remain unclear. This review summarizes potential risk factors of cCMV in seropositive women with perspectives on the causal link including sociodemographic factors, virological characteristics, the host immune system, genomics, metabonomics and proteomics. These observations and some new molecular markers, although not yet validated as a reliable tool predictive of cCMV, could be the basis for designing future prospective studies.

Defense and infection of the human placenta

The placenta functions as a shield against infection of the fetus. The innate and adaptive immune defenses of the developing fetus are poorly equipped to fight infections. Infection by bacteria, viruses, and protozoa may cause infertility, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, growth retardation, anomalies of development, premature delivery, neonatal morbidity, and mortality. However, appreciation of the human microbiome and host cell-microbe interactions must be taken into consideration as we try to determine what interactions are pathologic. Infection is typically recognized histologically by the presence of inflammation. Yet, several factors make comparison of the placenta to other human organs difficult. The placenta comprises tissues from two persons, complicating the role of the immune system. The placenta is a temporary organ. It must be eventually expelled; the processes leading to partuition involve maternal inflammation. What is normal or pathologic may be a function of timing or extent of the process. We now must consider whether bacteria, and even some viruses, are useful commensals or pathogens. Still, recognizing infection of the placenta is one of the most important contributions placental pathologic examination can give to care of the mother and neonate. This review provides a brief overview of placental defense against infection, consideration of the placental microbiome, routes of infection, and the histopathology of amniotic fluid infection and TORCH infections.