title: Acute-phase-specific heptapeptide epitope for diagnosis of parvovirus B19 infection.
abstract: The major capsid protein VP2 of human parvovirus B19, when studied in a denatured form exhibiting linear epitopes, is recognized exclusively by immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies of patients with acute or recent B19 infection. By contrast, conformational epitopes of VP2 are recognized both by IgG of the acute phase and by IgG of past immunity. In order to localize the VP2 linear epitope(s) specific for acute-phase IgG, the entire B19 capsid protein sequence was mapped by peptide scanning using well-characterized acute-phase and control sera. A unique heptapeptide epitope showing strong and selective reactivity with the acute-phase IgG was detected and characterized. By using this linear epitope (VP2 amino acids 344 to 350) and virus-like particles exhibiting conformational VP2 epitopes, an innovative approach, second-generation epitope-typing enzyme immunoassay, was set up for improved diagnosis of primary infections by human parvovirus B19.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Haartman Institute and HUCH Diagnostic, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaikkonen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lankinen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Harjunpää
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hokynar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderlund-Venermo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oker-Blom
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedman
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D009842:Oligopeptides; C095548:capsid protein VP2, parvovirus B19