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Multiple subtypes of coxsackievirus group B can cause congenital heart disease

Vipul Sharma1, Lisa S Goessling1, Anoop K Brar1

  • 1Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Birth Defects Research
|September 12, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal coxsackievirus B (CVB) infection in mice causes congenital heart defects (CHD), with co-infections increasing severity. This study links maternal CVB exposure to fetal heart abnormalities, not limited to a single serotype.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Virology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Coxsackievirus B (CVB) is a common cause of viral myocarditis.
  • CVB targets cardiomyocytes via specific receptors present in the fetal heart.
  • Maternal CVB infection during pregnancy is hypothesized to contribute to congenital heart defect (CHD) pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of different coxsackievirus B serotypes in causing congenital heart defects (CHD).
  • To establish a murine model for studying prenatal CVB infection and its impact on fetal heart development.

Main Methods:

  • Pregnant mice were infected with CVB1, CVB4, or a combination of CVB3 + CVB4 during a critical gestational period.
  • Offspring were examined for fetal death and the presence of heart defects.

Main Results:

  • Maternal CVB infection led to significant rates of ventricular septal defects (VSD) and non-compaction of ventricular myocardium (NC).
  • CVB1 infection resulted in 44% VSD and 41.2% NC; CVB4 resulted in 31.7% VSD and 13.3% NC.
  • Co-infection with CVB3 + CVB4 showed the highest incidence of fetal pathology (51.3% VSD, 41% NC) and fetal death (46.2%). Male fetuses were more susceptible.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal CVB infections can induce congenital heart defects in a mouse model.
  • Co-infections with CVB serotypes exacerbate the severity of heart defects and fetal death.
  • The study confirms a link between prenatal CVB infection and CHD development, irrespective of the specific serotype.
Abstract

Keywords:
congenital heart diseasecoxsackieviruspediatricspregnancyvirus infection

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