Principal Investigator:
Anna Wald, MD, MPH

Study Title:
CMV Reactivation and Immunosenescence – Breast milk sub-study

Study Description:
Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a type of human herpesvirus. About 60% of the US population is infected. Most people who acquire CMV have no symptoms when they get infected. Once infected, CMV will be in your body for the rest of your life. The virus becomes latent, meaning it is present in your body but is dormant, or inactive. At times, CMV can become active again. When this happens, virus can be found in a person’s blood, urine or saliva without any signs or symptoms. This is called viral shedding. Studies have shown that CMV may have an effect on how a person’s immune system fights other infections, especially in older people.

The purpose of this study is to determine how frequently CMV is shed at various sites in the body and to look at the relationship between shedding and a person’s immune response.

At the initial Screening Visit, blood will be drawn for CMV and HIV antibody testing. Eligible participants will return for an Enrollment Visit, at which time the researchers will collect medical history and perform a physical exam. Participants will then be asked to come to clinic for weekly visits for 8 weeks. Daily home samples will be collected, every other week of the study, for a total of 4 weeks. The samples will include a urine sample, vaginal swab, an oral swab, and a breast milk sample. At each follow-up visit, blood will be drawn to test for CMV.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Women, 18 years of age or older
• Currently breastfeeding
• Able to complete the study within 6 months of child’s birth (and therefore currently breastfeeding a child less than 4 months old)
• CMV seropositive, as determined at the screening visit

Exclusions:

• HIV seropositive
• Currently pregnant
• Taking oral steroids or immune modulatory drugs such as Enbrel or Humira

Location:
UW Virology Research Clinic
908 Jefferson St, 11th Floor,
Seattle, WA 98104

Compensation:
Participants will receive $330 for completing the entire study ($30-50 per visit depending on the visit). Participants will not be compensated for the Screening Visit.