title: Human parvovirus Bb19 detection in asymptomatic blood donors: association with increased neopterin concentrations.
abstract: Serum neopterin concentrations were determined in 20,000 blood donations. For the 400 donations with neopterin concentrations above the 98 th percentile and another 1200 donations with neopterin concentrations in the lower range, results of human parvovirus (HPV) B19 tests were compared. Infectious specimens were identified by dot blot hybridization assay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that used the outer primers and detected 1 pg of HPV B19 DNA, corresponding to approximately 10(5) copies of the genome, in the specimens and by a nested PCR that detected 1-10 fg of DNA, corresponding to 10(2)-10(3) copies of the genome. Of 400 specimens with neopterin concentrations > or =12 nmol/L (98th percentile, current cutoff), 10 tested positive by dot blot hybridization assay (9 of these were confirmed by nested PCR). Among 1200 specimens with low neopterin concentrations (<12 nmol/L), no specimen containing HPV B19 DNA was detected. These findings suggest an association between elevated neopterin concentrations and HPV B19 infectivity.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute for Blood Transfusion, University Clinic Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Harald.Schennach@tilak.or.at
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schennach
authors.forename: Andrea Judith
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lanthaler
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mayersbach
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ulmer
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muell
authors.forename: Diether
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schoenitzer
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larcher
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D019798:Neopterin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D019798:Neopterin