Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection, resulting in birth defects such as microcephaly. In this study, RT-PCR and West Blotting were performed to quantify the regulation of endogenic nerve growth factor expression in neuroglia cells by HCMV infection. The results showed that basal, endogenous NGF expression in U251 was unchanged during early HCMV infection. NGF expression is strongly down-regulated during the latent phase of infection. These results suggest that HCMV can depress the NGF expression in U251 cells.