Significance of cytomegalovirus tests after three weeks of life in children with hearing loss

Sang-Yeon Lee; Heong Won Jeon; So-Yeon Ahn; Seung-Ha Oh; Bong Jik Kim; Byung Yoon Choi

doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111555

Significance of cytomegalovirus tests after three weeks of life in children with hearing loss

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2023 May:168:111555. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111555. Epub 2023 Apr 14.

Authors

Sang-Yeon Lee¹, Heong Won Jeon², So-Yeon Ahn³, Seung-Ha Oh¹, Bong Jik Kim⁴, Byung Yoon Choi⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Sensory Organ Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea.
² Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea.
³ MRCC, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea; Brain Research Institute, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea. Electronic address: bongjik.kim@cnu.ac.kr.
⁵ Sensory Organ Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, South Korea. Electronic address: choiby@snubh.org.

PMID: 37075593
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2023.111555

Abstract

Background: To determine the diagnostic role of viral markers for cytomegalovirus (CMV) when tested after the diagnostically critical period (postnatal 3 weeks) in children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Methods: A retrospective review of 104 subjects who underwent CMV diagnostic tests after the critical period of 3 postnatal three weeks but before 24 months of age. Infants included had not passed universal newborn hearing screening tests in at least one ear and thus underwent obligatory follow up audiology testing as well as either exome sequencing or magnetic resonance imaging in cases of SNHL. Our cohort was classified into four subgroups depending on the results from audiological and etiologic diagnostic tests (genetic and radiological tests): congenital CMV (cCMV)-related SNHL (Group 1, n = 9), SNHL with another clear etiology (Group 2, n = 34), and SNHL classified as neither Group 1 nor 2 (Group 3, n = 18). We added age-matched, normal-hearing children (Group 4, n = 43) as a control group. CMV related viral metrics were compared among these four groups.

Results: CMV PCR positivity, PCR titers, and culture positivity successfully differentiated Group 1 from Groups 2 and 4. Group 3 showed values of these parameters that were significantly different from Groups 2 and 4, while being more similar to those in Group 1, suggesting that a substantial portion of Group 3 truly had cCMV deafness. A hypothetical formula was developed to predict cCMV infections using logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion: This is the first study to propose the clinical significance of CMV test results obtained after 3 weeks post-birth in children with SNHL and to suggest how we can utilize them.

Keywords: Congenital CMV; Critical period; Cytomegalovirus; Polymerase chain reaction; Sensorineural hearing loss.

MeSH terms

Child
Cytomegalovirus / genetics
Cytomegalovirus Infections* / complications
Cytomegalovirus Infections* / congenital
Cytomegalovirus Infections* / diagnosis
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* / etiology
Hearing Tests
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Retrospective Studies