title: Polymerase chain reaction assay of parvovirus B19 DNA in clinical specimens.
abstract: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect parvovirus B19 DNA in a panel of sera from individuals recently infected with B19, as demonstrated by the presence of anti-B19 immunoglobulin M. Of 95 serum samples, 60 (63%) were found positive by PCR, whereas only 1 was also found positive by dot hybridization. In a control panel of 100 serum samples from individuals with other infections, only 1 serum sample was found positive by PCR, and this was also found positive by dot hybridization. This was probably just a fortuitous discovery of viremia. Placental tissues from women (n = 89) who had proven B19 infections in pregnancy but who gave birth to healthy infants at term were also tested. A total of 74 (83%) were found positive for B19 DNA by PCR. The high rate of detection by PCR probably represents "decay" of viral DNA after the peak of viremia and is not a clinically significant phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Clewley
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010321:Parvoviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes