Association between the cytomegalovirus seroprevalence and hearing loss in early childhood

This study was designed to evaluate the association between the seroprevalence of CMV with the hearing loss among preschool children. A case-control study has been performed in Tbilisi, Digomi Inclusive Education Centre for children with hearing loss. The cohort of 15 children with SNHL was studied for HCMV specific IgG and IgM antibodies concentration in the blood. The control group consisted of 30 healthy children of the same age without any hearing abnormalities which have been tested on TORCH infections for screening purposes. The serum samples from all subjects were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Comparison of seroprevalence rates for the study and control groups has been performed by Fisher's exact test. Seropositivity was almost two times higher among children with hearing loss in comparison with the children without any signs of hearing disabilities. CMV specific IgG antibodies were positive in 14 (93.3%) of 15 patients from the study group and in 14 (46.7%) of 30 children from the control group (p=0.003). Thus, CMV burden has been shown to be associated with the development of nongenetic sensorineural hearing loss. Early identification of children with CMV burden in early stages of development, as they are in increased risk for development the SNHL, is very important for early intervention and better outcome.