title: Seroepidemiology of the human polyomaviruses.
abstract: To assess the stability of polyomavirus antibodies in serial samples over time and the incidence and age-specific prevalence of polyomavirus infections, we established enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) using purified yeast-expressed virus-like particles (VLPs) containing the VP1 major capsid proteins of JC virus (JCV) and the AS and SB strains of BK virus (BKV). A random subsample of 150 Finnish women who had serum samples taken during the first trimester of pregnancy and had a second pregnancy during a 5 year follow-up period was selected, grouped by age of first pregnancy. The polyomavirus antibody levels were similar in samples taken during the first and second pregnancies (correlation coefficient 0.93 for BKV SB and 0.94 for JCV). Analysis of serum samples from 290 Swedish children aged 1-13 years, grouped by age in 2 year intervals, demonstrated that BKV seropositivity increased rapidly with increasing age of the children, reaching 98 % seroprevalence at 7-9 years of age, followed by a minor decrease. JCV seroprevalence increased only slowly with increasing age and reaching 72 % positivity among mothers >25 years of age. The age-specific seroprevalence of the human polyomaviruses measured using this VLP-based EIA was similar to previous serosurveys by other methods. The stability of the antibodies over time indicates that polyomavirus seropositivity is a valid marker of cumulative virus exposure, and polyoma VLP-based EIAs may therefore be useful for epidemiological studies of these viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Malmö University Hospital, Entrance 78, S-20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stolt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Graiciuno 8, LT-2028, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Kestutis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasnauskas
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National Public Health Institute, PO Box 310 (Aapistie 1), FIN-90101 Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Pentti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koskela
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehtinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Malmö University Hospital, Entrance 78, S-20502 Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Joakim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dillner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001739:BK Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007577:JC Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; C062481:VP1 protein, polyomavirus