Detection of human cytomegalic virus-specific IgG and IgM via ELISA and risk of autism spectrum disorder in Mosul children/Iraq

Background: The term “autism spectrum” was added to indicate the presence of a multiple group of symptoms and signs and different levels of severity. Problems with brain cytomegalovirus in newborns have been found in a small percentage of children with autism. Maternal immune activation by viral infection is an environmental variable that increases the chance of neurodevelopmental disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder. The purpose of this study was to assess the significance of CMV infection as a potential risk factor for autism spectrum. Methods: One hundred and fifty four participants, 94 of whom were children with autism and 60 were healthy children between the ages of 2 and 12, was conducted in several hospitals, including in Mosul, Iraq, from November 2023 to January 2024. Blood samples were collected from the children to test for CMV IgG and IgM levels using the ELISA technique. The study followed the ethical guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, and both verbal and written consent were obtained from the patients before sample collection 10 cc blood and serum samples from all patients. ELISA was performed by measuring anti-HCMV IgG and IgM antibody levels using the sandwich ELISA method. According to SunLong Biotech Co., Ltd. for CMV. Results: In this study, we enrolled (154) children, (94) with ASD, and (60) without ASD as healthy controls. The mean age was 8.6 years(SD=2.5) for the patients and 5.9 years (SD=2.8) for controls (P=0.775). Females outnumbered males equally among cases (2/94and 1/94) at(P=0.270). The IgM sensitivity and specificity for detecting CMV infection were (100% and 2.197%), respectively. IgG levels were significantly higher in CMV-infected individuals, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 3.191 (P<0.001). Conclusion: Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may impact autism spectrum disorder as an etiology, but more research must be conducted confirming this declamation.