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Use of In vivo Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Experimental Mouse Cytomegalovirus Infection in Neonates
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Two-sample Mendelian randomization study does not reveal a significant relationship between cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Mengna Zhang1, Ying Ming2, Yunling Du2

  • 1Molecular Diagnosis Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, HeBei Province, 067000, China. zhangmengna2014@sina.com.

BMC Psychiatry
|August 2, 2023
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is not significantly associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Further research is needed to clarify the elusive relationship between CMV and ASD development.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Infectious diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects approximately 2% of children globally, characterized by repetitive behaviors and communication impairments.
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a suspected risk factor for ASD, but existing studies have conflicting conclusions and limited sample sizes.
  • The precise link between CMV infection and ASD remains unclear and requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential association between Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Main Methods:

  • A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was employed.
  • Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data from FinnGen and the IEU Open GWAS project were utilized.

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant relationship was found between three types of CMV infections (unspecified cytomegaloviral diseases, anti-CMV IgG levels, and maternal CMV) and ASD.
  • The analysis indicated that CMV infection does not substantially elevate the risk of ASD.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is not a significant risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  • The complex relationship between CMV infection and ASD requires additional research for complete clarification.
Keywords:
2-sample Mendelian randomizationAutism spectrum disorders (ASD)Congenital CMV infectionCytomegalovirus (CMV) infection

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