Seroepidemiology of Human Parvovirus B19 Using Recombinant VP1+VP2 Particle Antigen

Abstract

Antibody prevalence to B19 virus in Japan was previously reported with 1973 and 1984 serum collections. Since then we have had two big epidemics of erythema infectiosum in Japan: 1986-87 and 1991-92. In an attempt to estimate how much those epidemics have affected seroprevalence to B19 virus infection, we studied seroepidemiology in three separate areas using a newly developed ELISA system consisting of recombinant VP1 + VP2 particle antigen. Total of 900 sera obtained in 1993 from healthy individuals living in northern, central and southwest parts of Japan were assayed for the presence of anti B19 IgG antibody. In the first, the new assay system was compared with our conventional assay system in which native B19 virus particles were used as antigen. Of 220 serum samples tested, 212 (96.4%) gave same results in both assays. Remaining 8 samples which gave variable results were those of near cut off values. We concluded that this new ELISA system can be recommended for seroepidemiological use. Antibody prevalence rates were 10% (0-4 y), 54% (5-9 y), 59% (10-14 y), 46% (15-19 Y), 38% (20-29 y), 48% (30-39 y), 64% (40-49y) and 76% (50 y-). No gender difference was observed. Comparison of antibody prevalences in 1973, 1984 and 1993 suggested that approximately 10% (about 8 million people) of the total population under 40 years of age acquired immunity to B19 virus during one epidemic period.

Seroprevalence of IgG against conformational and linear capsid antigens of parvovirus B19 in Italian blood donors

“…Comparing Italian data on IgG prevalence against parvovirus structural proteins with data obtained in other studies [2,7,[8][9][10][11] in different parts of the world stratified by age ( Fig. 4), it seems clear that in continental Europe contact with B19 occurs at lower ages.…”

Estimating the Risk of Parvovirus B19 Infection in Blood Donors and Pregnant Women in Japan

“…In advance of analyzing the serum samples, we examined a published seroprevalence study result in 1993 which had been conducted in three prefectures in Japan, including Fukuoka [14]. Assuming age-independence in the risk of infection with PVB19, the force of infection, λ , i.e., the rate at which susceptible individuals are infected, was estimated at 0.028 per year in 1993.…”

“…a constant force of infection model), (ii) assuming age-dependence and employing a parametric model, (iii) assuming age-dependence and using a non-parametric model, and (iv) employing a time- and age-dependent model. The first three models used only datasets from 2004-07, but we additionally analyzed the 1993 data for model (iv) [14]. For now, we write the most explicit model with time- and age-dependence, because others are special cases of this type of force of infection model.…”

“…While seroepidemiological studies of PVB19 have also taken place in Japan [13], [14], they were conducted during 1970s-90s without an update for some 20 years, and moreover, epidemiological attempts have yet to explicitly estimate the risk of infection in blood donors and quantify the burden of infection among pregnant women. Using statistical modeling techniques, the present study aims to characterize the seroepidemiology of PVB19 infection in Japan, validating the prevalence estimate by looking into the antigen data among blood donors and estimating the risk of infection among pregnant women and fetal outcomes.…”