CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION AMONG LEUKEMIC CHILDREN IN SANA’A CITY, YEMEN

Background and Aims: An investigation into the prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in children with leukemia at an oncology center in Sana’a city, Yemen, was carried out. CMV is a member of the herpesvirus family and is highly prevalent in the general population. It can cause a potentially fatal latent infection and can reactivate in terms of immune suppression as leukemia. Materials & Methods: To determine the prevalence of CMV, serum samples were collected from pediatric leukemia patients after diagnosis was confirmed by an oncologist at the Leukemia Center of Kuwait University Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen. A total of 253 pediatric leukemia patients were included in the study, 52.2% were males and 47.8% were females, the mean age of the group was 7.8 ± 3.9 years and the age of the patients ranged from 1 to 16 years. All serum samples were tested for CMV-specific IgG and IgM antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Data were analyzed by Epi-Info version 6. Odds ratio and chi-square test were used to compare between categorical variables. Statistical significance was considered as p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of CMV infection in all participants was 79.1%, with females having a higher prevalence (81.8%) than males (76.5%). The prevalence of CMV current infection (IgM positive) was 6.3%, with females having a 7.4% higher prevalence than males; and age groups 10-14 years had the highest prevalence (9.4%). The study analyzed factors associated with CMV transmission and risk factors for leukemia in pediatric leukemia patients, revealing that 2.8% had other leukemia family members, 91.7% were undergoing chemotherapy, and 2.8% had other diseases. Conclusion: According to our findings, children with leukemia had a significantly higher prior exposure to CMV. Effective treatment and care practices can help prevent the reactivation of latent viral infections in children with leukemia. Long-term monitoring and additional research are needed to determine the factors that influence the reactivation of latent CMV infection and other latent viral infections in children with leukemia. Peer Review History: Received 2 February 2025; Reviewed 9 March 2025; Accepted 23 April; Available online 15 May 2025