PCR Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus in Human Placenta and Aborted Material in Spontaneous Abortion

Objective: Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection during pregnancy may lead to fetal loss. The aim of this study was to explore the infection rate of HSV type 1 and 2 infection associated with spontaneous abortion in a pilot case-control study in two cities of Iran in 2010. Patients and Methods: Placenta and curettage samples from 35 healthy full term neonates and 35 cases of spontaneous abortion with related questionnaires were collected. Sample DNA was extracted using Qiagen extraction kit, and then PCR was applied for detection of both types of viruses. In parallel, results were checked using SinaClon detection kit. Results: In this study 2.8% (1/35) of samples taken from aborted materials were found to be HSV positive (p=0.497). Differences were detected between case and control groups regarding vaginal infection (p =0.001) and having previous spontaneous abortion (p =0.018). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that HSV can be an abortion-related factor in pregnancy.