Cytomegalovirus IgG: how you can get infected and why get vaccinated

Cytomegalovirus infection belongs to the herpesvirus group. It can be found in the patient's biofluid (blood, semen, urine, vaginal mucus, saliva, lacrimal fluid).

It can be transmitted by airborne droplets, household, sexually, during blood transfusion and from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy.

Cytomegalovirus (aka CMV infection) is widespread throughout the world. But not all carriers of this virus are sick. Cytomegalovirus IgG can be present in the body for a very long time, does not manifest itself in any way and is activated only in case of a decrease in immunity. Symptomatically similar to the common cold.

Antibodies and immunity

Immunity is the body's defense system. Distinguish between innate and acquired immunity.

Congenital we get from our ancestors at the genetic level. It is they who are responsible for the immunity to any disease within the same family.

Acquired immunity, accordingly, we acquire throughout life. It can be artificial (vaccinations, vaccines) and natural. Natural immunity is passive (received from the mother during intrauterine development) and active (appeared after an illness).

To protect our body from bacteria, microbes and viruses (antigens), cells of the lymph nodes, spleen and red bone marrow produce special protein bodies - antibodies (IgA immunoglobulins). They enter the bloodstream and circulate through the circulatory system.

As soon as antibodies meet a foreign object in the body, they bind to it and thus convert it into an inactive form.

A few days after infection, specific immunity is activated and IgM immunoglobulins appear. IgM appear only at the initial stage of the disease and are indispensable participants in the defense in case of acute infection.

After a few weeks, class G immunoglobulins begin to be synthesized. It is their presence that provides long-term or lifelong immunity to this causative agent of the disease. In case of repeated infection with the same virus (bacteria, microbes), the amount of IgG antibodies increases.

Cytomegaly and uterine development

An adult organism easily copes with cytomegalovirus and quickly enough acquires stable immunity to it in the form of cytomegalovirus IgG immunoglobulin. Unfortunately, this does not apply to pregnant women.

Primary infection with cytomegalovirus during pregnancy poses a danger to the fetus and can lead to both serious disturbances in its development and death. That is why, when planning a pregnancy, it is necessary to pass an analysis for the presence of antibodies to cytomegalovirus. If they are absent, during the period of bearing a child, a woman should be more careful about her health in order to prevent infection.

IgG positive in newborns

If, however, a woman has persistent immunity to cytomegalovirus, and re-infection has occurred during pregnancy, the child can be born with antibodies to this infection (cytomegalovirus IgG).

In addition, a baby can become infected through the birth canal or through breast milk. In babies in the first months of life, cytomegalovirus does not cause serious complications. Such babies may lag a little in weight and development, but they quickly catch up with their peers in all respects.

How can you get infected with cytomegalovirus and deciphering the analysis results

The carrier of cytomegalovirus is a person. Often, the infection does not manifest itself in any way while in hibernation mode. In this case, they talk about chronic carriage. With a weakening of the immune system (for example, due to severe hypothermia), it is activated. Since you can become infected with cytomegalovirus through frequent contact with a sick person and with a carrier of the infection, you should be extremely careful.

How the virus is transmitted

Since the causative agents of infection are in the biological fluid of a person, then infection occurs at the moments of exchange of these fluids.

There are several routes of transmission of CMV infection:

• Airborne (when kissing, sneezing).
• Sexual (during sexual intercourse).
• Blood transfusion (with blood transfusion).
• Transplacental (during pregnancy from mother to fetus).
• When breastfeeding.

It should be noted that this virus is not particularly contagious. Since it is possible to become infected with cytomegalovirus only during the exchange of fluids, frequent and prolonged contact with the carrier of the infection is necessary for the transmission of infection.

Indications for the study

This infection is especially dangerous for the fetus during pregnancy and for people with immunodeficiency problems. Therefore, women during pregnancy, like people with reduced immunity, must donate blood to detect this disease.

When it comes to newborns, indications for testing for CMV infection are jaundice, enlargement of the spleen and liver, low hemoglobin, and minor skin hemorrhages. In especially severe forms, cytomegalovirus can provoke disorders of the central nervous system, hearing system and eyes.

In adults, the symptoms of infection are similar to the common cold: fever, aches, headache and joint pain, general weakness of the body. Subsequently, the virus goes into a chronic stage and is exacerbated only during periods of decreased immunity. Therefore, many do not even suspect that they have been ill and become carriers of CMV infection in adulthood.

IgG and IgM tests what is the difference

When analyzing for cytomegalovirus, two types of antibodies are isolated: IgG and IgM.

How do they differ and what is the role of each of them?

The presence of IgM antibodies is the primary immune response to infection. They appear during the first three to five weeks after infection and are an indicator of the presence of an inflammatory process and the body's fight against it. They can be found in the blood within five to six months after infection.

IgG antibodies appear after recovery and remain in the blood for up to 10 years. It is they who help to contain the infection and prevent it from turning into an acute form.

When diagnosing a disease, both of these indicators are considered together. Separately, they are uninformative.

Interpretation of analysis results

The following ratios of IgG and IgM antibodies are possible:

1. IgG and IgM are absent. This means that the body has never encountered an infection.
2. IgG absent, IgM present. The infection has occurred recently, the disease is in its early stages.
3. IgG and IgM are present. The disease is in the active phase, the body is fighting the infection.
4. IgG present, IgM absent. There is immunity to this disease.

There is also such an indicator as IgG avidity. Avidity indicates how tightly the antibodies are bound to the virus. At the first infection, antibodies are characterized by low avidity; three months after infection, it increases. This indicator provides information on how much time has passed since infection.

Dangers and consequences

As mentioned above, cytomegalovirus is especially dangerous for pregnant women. If the primary infection occurred in the first trimester, then most likely the pregnancy will end in miscarriage or fetal freezing.

Infection at a later date can lead to consequences such as congenital cytomegaly, epilepsy, dropsy brain, mental retardation, various deformities, deafness, blindness, diseases of the lungs, heart and others organs.

If the expectant mother is immune to CMV infection, then re-infection during pregnancy does not pose a great danger to the fetus. It will be protected by maternal IgG antibodies. They will be passed on to the child.

In a woman, primary infection can provoke the occurrence of various diseases of the genitourinary sphere and problems in gynecology.

For people with immunodeficiency, cytomegalovirus also poses a serious threat. This also applies to cases of artificial suppression of immunity (in organ transplantation, cancer).

In these cases, the defeat of the body by CMV infection can lead to necrotic lesions of the vital important organs, microinfarctions of the cerebral cortex, ventriculoencephalitis with lesions of the cranial connections.

In people who have undergone transplantation, donor organ damage is possible.

Vaccination against cytomegalovirus: what to do if IgG is found

Having IgG antibodies in the absence of IgM is ideal. This means that you have already been ill and you have immunity. This means that the likelihood of relapse, although present, is quite low. If IgG antibodies are combined with IgM antibodies, this indicates an acute stage of the disease. An adult, healthy body is quite able to cope with this virus on its own.

General principles of treatment

At the moment, there is no way to cure cytomegalovirus infection. Also, as there is no vaccination against cytomegalovirus. Treatment is usually aimed at strengthening the immune system and reducing the number of relapses.

Most often, when an infection is detected, antiviral drugs, interferons and immunoglobulins are prescribed.

In patients with HIV and AIDS, cytomegalovirus can cause death. Treatment in this case is simply necessary. It is carried out with potent antiviral drugs (Valganciclovir, Ganciclovir, Foscarnet, Tsidofovir).

During pregnancy, antiviral treatment is impossible due to the high toxicity of the drugs and their detrimental effect on the child. Only observation of the patient is carried out to detect intrauterine infection of the fetus. Only the use of certain immunostimulants is allowed to prevent the spread of infection. If the fetus is infected, the woman is asked to terminate the pregnancy.

Prophylaxis

It is always easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. This is especially true for people at risk for this disease. Of course, the simplest way to avoid infection would be to get vaccinated against cytomegalovirus. But all attempts to create such a vaccine, unfortunately, did not lead to the desired result.

The most important thing in the prevention of CMV infection is to strengthen the immune system and adhere to the rules of sexual and personal hygiene.