Exploring Maternal-Fetal Transmission of Human Herpesvirus 6: A Study of Placental, Embryonic, and Autopsy Samples

Background:Considering the limited studies conducted on the possibility of vertical transmission of HHV-6 (human herpesvirus 6) in humans at different stages of pregnancy, the objective of this research was to examine the vertical transmission of HHV-6 in various tissues of aborted fetuses at different months of pregnancy. .Materials & Methods:This research was conducted on 58 formalin-fixed paraffinembedded tissues (FFPE) from 26 fetopsies.DNA extraction was performed using the phenol-chloroform technique.The quantity of extracted DNA samples was measured using the NanoDrop spectrophotometric method.PCR of the beta-globin gene confirmed the quality of the extracted DNA, and then the presence of the HHV-6 genome was tested using the real-time PCR method.Findings: Of the 26 fetuses examined, 22 (84.6%) were negative for HHV-6, and four (15.4%) were positive.All six first-trimester fetuses were negative.Among 13 secondtrimester fetuses (29 FFPE tissues), two (7.7%) tested positive.While none of the seven third-trimester fetuses (22 FFPE tissues) had positive placentas, HHV-6 was detected in non-placental fetal tissues, including the liver of fetus No. 16 and the heart of fetus No. 22, both of which were in the third trimester.Conclusion: These findings suggest that while vertical transmission of HHV-6 may occur, particularly in later stages of pregnancy and in specific fetal tissues, the overall prevalence in the sample studied was relatively low.Further investigation is needed to understand the implications of these results for maternal and fetal health.