# Diagnostic Value of IgG and IgM Antibodies in Breastfeeding Mothers Infected With Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

## TL;DR

This study examines the presence of CMV antibodies in breast milk from mothers in Pakistan to understand infection risks and factors influencing CMV transmission.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into CMV antibody prevalence in breastfeeding mothers and identifies socioeconomic and geographic factors influencing CMV infection rates.

## Key findings

- 184 out of 406 breast milk samples showed IgG positivity, and 49 showed IgM positivity for CMV.
- CMV infection risk was not influenced by age but was linked to poor economic status and rural residence.
- ELISA proved highly sensitive in detecting CMV antibodies in both primary and recurrent infections.

## Abstract

This study uses an ELISA-based cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen estimation method to identify IgG and IgM antibodies in mothers' breast milk. In Pakistan, the prevalence of CMV is very high in the general population, especially in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), where it is at its worst due to poor healthcare practices, including poor sanitation, sterilization, suboptimal medicinal doses, and miscommunication between healthcare providers and patients, contributing to higher mortality rates. The high CMV prevalence has significant implication in infants including congenital infection and in mothers, health complications such as fatigue, flue, and jaundice. The study aims to determine the viral load of the CMV in breastfeeding women in KPK, Pakistan.

Breast milk samples were collected in sterilized vacutainers from feeding mothers visiting hospitals in KPK. Each woman was asked about CMV infection through a background questionnaire. Milk samples were tested for CMV-specific immunoglobulin IgG and IgM antibodies.

A total of 406 breast milk samples from breastfeeding women in the research area were randomly analyzed. By using ELISA, 184 of them were found to have IgG positivity, and 49 had IgM positivity. These positive women were further segregated according to their education, age, socioeconomic status, place of residence, history of jaundice, parity, and miscarriage.

It was discovered that nursing women face the same risk of infection, regardless of their age. The awareness of CMV appears to improve with education. However, the population's poor economic standing was a primary contributing factor to CMV infections. Additionally, in the research location, CMV was more common in countryside rural areas compared to metropolitan. ELISA was extremely sensitive for identifying antibody and antigen reactivity in individuals with recurrent and primary CMV infections.