University Publications

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of most important causative agents of congenital infection among the pregnancy which acquired through the primary or secondary CMV infection. The risk of the transmission of CMV infection to the fetus it is greater high during the recent infection, most of CMV infections during the pregnancy are asymptomatic make the diagnosis of CMV infection is difficult base on symptoms. IgG avidity is defined as the overall strength of bond between polyclonal antibodies to multiple epitopes of antigen, the Principle of IgG avidity depend on treatment of antigen-antibody complex with denaturing agent, the antibodies had low avidity is more easily to detach from complex than those of higher avidity and expressed by a given low relative avidity index.</p> <p><strong>Aim:</strong> To calculate CMV IgG relative avidity index and correlate it to the CMV IgM to diagnosing primary CMV infections.</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> This is a cross sectional study involved fifty CMV IgM and IgG positive pregnant women, for whom the IgG avidity testing was conducted using CMV-IgG avidity kit, the test was performed according to the manufactures instructions.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> Out of 50 pregnant women were tested for CMV IgG avidity, 35/50(70%) have relative high avidity index while 8/50(16%) revealed relative low avidity index.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Anti-CMV IgG Avidity testing provides useful information about the time of infection and more clear to discriminate between recent from past CMV infections.</p>