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Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
Published on: July 6, 2013
Blood genome expression profiles in infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection
Christopher P Ouellette1, Pablo J Sánchez1,2,3,4, Zhaohui Xu5
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Nationwide Children's Hospital -The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
Insights
Congenital CMV infection (cCMVi) can cause late-onset hearing loss in infants. A new 16-gene blood test accurately predicts this risk, aiding early intervention for sensorineural hearing loss.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genetics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMVi) is a leading cause of childhood sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).
- Most infants with cCMVi have normal hearing at birth but risk late-onset SNHL.
- Reliable biomarkers for predicting SNHL development in cCMVi infants are currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate blood transcriptional profiles in infants with cCMVi.
- To identify potential biomarkers for predicting late-onset SNHL in infants with cCMVi.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of blood transcriptional profiles in 80 infants with cCMVi (symptomatic and asymptomatic) within the first 3 weeks of life.
- Follow-up for 3 years to assess the emergence of SNHL.
- Application of Random Forest analysis to identify gene classifier signatures.
Main Results:
- Biosignatures of symptomatic and asymptomatic cCMVi were indistinguishable.
- A 16-gene classifier signature was identified with 92% accuracy in predicting SNHL development.
- Immune responses in symptomatic and asymptomatic cCMVi infants appear similar.
Conclusions:
- A 16-gene signature in blood shows potential as a predictive biomarker for late-onset SNHL in infants with congenital CMV infection.
- This biomarker could facilitate early detection and intervention for hearing loss in at-risk infants.
Abstract:
Congenital CMV infection (cCMVi) affects 0.5-1% of all live births worldwide, making it the leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in childhood. The majority of infants with cCMVi have normal hearing at birth, but are at risk of developing late-onset SNHL. Currently, we lack reliable biomarkers to predict the development of SNHL in these infants. Here, we evaluate blood transcriptional profiles in 80 infants with cCMVi (49 symptomatic, 31 asymptomatic), enrolled in the first 3 weeks of life, and followed for 3 years to assess emergence of late-onset SNHL. The biosignatures of symptomatic and asymptomatic cCMVi are indistinguishable, suggesting that immune responses of infants with asymptomatic and symptomatic cCMVi are not different. Random forest analyses of initial samples in infants with cCMVi, irrespective of their clinical classification, identify a 16-gene classifier signature associated with the development of SNHL with 92% accuracy, suggesting its potential value as a biomarker.
