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Published on: July 6, 2013
Comparative analysis of hematology parameters and symptoms in children with HCMV infection across different age
Yingying Wang1, Zhou Zheng2, Lijuan Kan2
1School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China; Department of Medical Laboratory, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
Insights
Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in children under 6 increases lymphocytes. Younger children (under 2 years) show more severe liver injury, while older children have fewer illness types post-infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Virology
- Hematology
Background:
- Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections in children are often asymptomatic, leading to missed diagnoses and potential adverse outcomes.
- Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for managing HCMV in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate hematological parameters in HCMV-infected children.
- To assess clinical symptoms associated with HCMV infection in infants and children under 6 years old.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of laboratory data from 223 children (0 days to 6 years) with urine HCMV-DNA tests.
- Categorization into HCMV-infected and non-infected groups, with further age-based stratification.
Main Results:
- HCMV-infected children (0-6 years) exhibited significantly higher lymphocyte percentage (L%) and lymphocyte count (LYM).
- Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were observed in younger HCMV-infected children (0-<1 year and 0d-<2 years).
- Hepatobiliary markers like GGT were highest in neonates (0-21 days) and decreased with age; older children showed less illness diversity post-infection.
Conclusions:
- HCMV infection elevates peripheral blood lymphocytes in children aged 0-6 years.
- Younger children (0-2 years) experience more severe hepatobiliary injury from HCMV infection.
- Older children infected with HCMV may present with a narrower range of clinical symptoms.
Background:
Children are vulnerable to Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, the majority of infections of which are asymptomatic, which often leads to missed diagnoses. Missing early diagnosis and treatment may have adverse consequences for the child. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the hematological parameters and clinical symptoms in HCMV-infected infants and children under 6 years old.
Method:
This study conducted a retrospective analysis of laboratory data from 223 children aged 0 day to 6 years who had undergone urine HCMV-DNA test at the Luohu People's Hospital. We categorized children into two groups based on the results of their urine HCMV-DNA test: the HCMV infected group and the HCMV non-infected group. Furthermore, we divided them into different age groups: 0-21 days, 22 days-<6 months, 6 months-<1 year, 1-<2 years, and 2-6 years.
Results:
The lymphocyte percentage (L%) and lymphocyte count (LYM) of HCMV-infected children aged 0-6y were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) of HCMV-infected children aged 0-<1y and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of HCMV-infected children aged 0d-<2y were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05), but this difference was not evident among older children. We found that GGT was highest in HCMV-infected children aged 0-21d and decreased with the increase of age. Furthermore, our data indicate that older children exhibit a reduced diversity of illnesses after infection.
Conclusion:
We conclude that HCMV infection can increase lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of children aged from 0 to 6 years and can cause more severe hepatobiliary injury in younger children.
