{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T19:41:57Z","timestamp":1790106117077,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,24]],"date-time":"2024-02-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1708732800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the main cause of non-hereditary sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). In order to shed light on SNHL pathophysiology, we examined the auditory pathway in CMV-infected fetuses; the temporal lobe, in particular the auditory cortex, and the inner ear. We investigated both inner ears and temporal lobes of 20 human CMV-infected fetuses at 21 weeks of gestation. As a negative group, five fetuses from spontaneous miscarriages without CMV infection were studied. Inner ears and temporal lobes were histologically examined, immunohistochemistry for CMV and CMV-PCR were performed. On the auditory cortex, we evaluated the local microglial reaction to the infection. CMV-positive cells were found in 14\/20 brains and the damage was classified as severe, moderate, or mild, according to histological features. Fetuses with severe brain damage had a statistically higher temporal lobe viral load and a higher number of activated microglial cells in the auditory cortex compared to fetuses with mild brain damage (p: 0.01; p: 0.01). In the inner ears, the marginal cells of the stria vascularis were the most CMV positive. In our study, CMV affected the auditory pathway, suggesting a tropism for this route. In addition, in the auditory cortex, microglial activation may favor further tissue damage contributing to hearing loss.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25052636","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,26]],"date-time":"2024-02-26T06:50:23Z","timestamp":1708930223000},"page":"2636","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["The Auditory Pathway in Congenitally Cytomegalovirus-Infected Human Fetuses"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5994-4749","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liliana","family":"Gabrielli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Paola","family":"Bonasoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2596-2367","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giulia","family":"Piccirilli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Evangelia","family":"Petrisli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Venturoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessia","family":"Cantiani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Matteo","family":"Pavoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Section of Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Concetta","family":"Marsico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS AziendaOspedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria Grazia","family":"Capretti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS AziendaOspedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuliana","family":"Simonazzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Obstetric Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"},{"name":"Section of Obstetrics, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3093-363X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tiziana","family":"Lazzarotto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"},{"name":"Section of Microbiology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"762","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.110.4.762","article-title":"Predictors of hearing loss in children with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection","volume":"110","author":"Rivera","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1002\/rmv.535","article-title":"Review and meta-analysis of the epidemiology of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection","volume":"17","author":"Kenneson","year":"2007","journal-title":"Rev. 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