RNA-Seq of amniotic fluid cell-free RNA: a discovery phase study of the pathophysiology of congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Abstract

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is the most common perinatal infection and a significant cause of sensorineural hearing loss, cerebral palsy, and neurodevelopmental disability. There is a paucity of human gene expression studies examining the pathophysiology of cytomegalovirus infection. Objective: This study aimed to perform a whole transcriptomic assessment of amniotic fluid from pregnancies with live fetuses to identify differentially expressed genes and enriched Gene Ontology categories associated with congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Study Design: Amniotic fluid supernatant was prospectively collected from pregnant women undergoing amniocentesis for suspected conge..