Seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 NS1-specific IgG in B19-infected and uninfected individuals and in infected pregnant women

Abstract

Parvovirus B19 is the causative agent of erythema infectiosum in children, but the virus is associated with an increasing range of different diseases. These include acute and chronic arthritis, hydrops fetalis in pregnant women, aplastic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The host's immune response is directed against the viral structural proteins VP1 and VP2. This study investigated the presence of IgG against the viral nonstructural protein NS1 using Western blot. Serum panels from healthy individuals, B19-infected pregnant women, and various disease groups were tested. The disease groups included patients with symptoms that may be linked to parvovirus B19 infection. The results showed that IgG against the NS1 protein was present in 22% of healthy individuals with past B19 infection. In cases of persistent or prolonged B19 infections, the prevalence of NS1-specific antibodies was as high as 80%. It is concluded that NS1-specific IgG may be used as an indicator of chronic or more severe courses of parvovirus B19 infections.

Frequent infection with a viral pathogen, parvovirus B19, in rheumatic diseases of childhood

“…This antibody prevalence in both the patient and the control group is in a range that would be expected in children and adolescents, since parvovirus B19 infection is known as one of the classic diseases of childhood (26). However, the frequency of NS1-specific IgG antibodies differed significantly, being present in 29 patients (39%) and 27 controls (22%) (P Ͻ 0.001); the frequency obtained in the control group is in accordance with the values described for the detection of NS1-specific IgG in individuals with past B19 infection (18,19,27). Western blot analysis of the synovial fluid samples derived from the arthritis patients revealed an antibody pattern that was qualitatively identical to that obtained from the sera (data not shown).…”

“…B19 viremia usually reaches a peak at days 7-9 after infection and is resolved by the development of an IgM-and IgG-antibody response starting a few days later. Despite the development and presence of B19-specific immune reactions, ϳ20% of all B19 infections show a prolonged state of viremia or viral persistence restricted to the synovial fluid, and viral genomes are detected in bone marrow or other organs, e.g., synovial tissue, liver, or myocardium, for several years after infection (4,8,12,13,19,27,(29)(30)(31)(32)(33). Compared with our age-matched control group and compared with healthy adult blood donors, who have been shown to contain B19 DNA in 7% and in 0.1% up to 0.6% of cases, respectively (34)(35)(36), viral genomes were detected in 35% of arthritis patients in the present study.…”

Baculovirus expression of parvovirus B19 (B19V) NS1: utility in confirming recent infection

“…Recent studies have demonstrated a range of 21.7-36% NS1 IgG seropositivity in control subjects previously infected with B19V (Venturoli et al, 1998;Jones et al, 1999;Hemauer et al, 2000). An anti-B19V NS1 IgG seropositivity of 12.5% (5/40) has been observed in recently infected individuals, and a similarly low rate of anti-B19V NS1 IgG positivity has been reported in acutely infected immunocompetent individuals (5/43; 11%) (Jones et al, 1999;Hemauer et al, 2000).…”

“…Recent studies have demonstrated a range of 21.7-36% NS1 IgG seropositivity in control subjects previously infected with B19V (Venturoli et al, 1998;Jones et al, 1999;Hemauer et al, 2000). An anti-B19V NS1 IgG seropositivity of 12.5% (5/40) has been observed in recently infected individuals, and a similarly low rate of anti-B19V NS1 IgG positivity has been reported in acutely infected immunocompetent individuals (5/43; 11%) (Jones et al, 1999;Hemauer et al, 2000). Most of these studies on the immune response to B19V NS1 have focused on the diagnostic utility of anti-B19V NS1 IgG as a marker of specific B19V-related disease or persistent infection, whereby the level of anti-B19V NS1 IgG positivity may be as high as 61% (24/39) and 80% (4/5), respectively, in cases of B19V infection during pregnancy or chronic B19V infection in immunocompetent individuals (Hemauer et al, 2000).…”

“…Interestingly, all of these studies have been performed using E. coli expressed NS1 fragments as the detection antigen. Furthermore, no evidence of anti-B19V NS1 IgM has been found from specimens taken during recent B19V infection (Hemauer et al, 2000). A limited evaluation of baculovirus-expressed NS1 for B19V serological studies has been reported, whereby 12% (3/25) of specimens obtained from arthropathy patients were anti-B19V NS1 IgG positive by Western blot analysis (Hicks et al, 1996).…”