Existence of Epstein-Barr Virus in the Umbilical Cord and Sera Samples of Healthy Pregnant Women

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV-PTLD) is a known and serious condition for the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This study evaluated the prevalence of EBV in umbilical cord samples of healthy pregnant women in Baghdad, Iraq.  Methods: 800 umbilical cord blood (UCB) samples were collected from healthy pregnant women. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was conducted to detect IgM and IgG antibodies. The EBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was detected in the plasma and buffy coat contents using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and nested PCR techniques.  Results: Four (IgG-positive), five and six samples were positive in the ELISA, Nested PCR and RT-qPCR assays, respectively. The age of contaminated women included 26-34 years. Notably, in the ELISA method, all the plasma samples were IgM-negative.  Conclusion: The existence of EBV among healthy women is a concern and assessment of a larger sample size is necessary to determine large-scale presence of EBV infection. The RT-qPCR exhibited higher sensitivity than ELISA and nested PCR techniques which can be considered as a confirmatory test. For larger sample size investigation, the ELISA method is appropriate as a primary screening test for lower costs.