Seroepidemiology of group I human coronaviruses in children.
BACKGROUND
Recently, several new human coronaviruses have been identified.


OBJECTIVE
To define the seroepidemiology of group I human coronaviruses.


METHODS
A recombinant protein enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on portions of the nucleocapsid protein of group I human coronaviruses was developed and was used to screen serum from 243 children and young adults.


RESULTS
For HCoV-229E, the percentages of seropositive individuals were 57.1% for infants <2 months old; 38.9% for infants 2-3 months old; 4.7% for infants 4-5 months old; 42.9-50.0% for infants 6-12 months old; 34.8-62.5% for individuals 1-20 years old. For HCoV-NL63, the percentages of seropositive individuals were 45.2% for infants <2 months old; 11.1% for infants 2-3 months old; 4.7% for infants 4-5 months old; 28.6-40.0% for infants 6-12 months old; 25.0-70.3% for individuals 1-20 years old.


CONCLUSIONS
Infection with these viruses is common in childhood though the prevalence of these viruses may vary from year to year.
Shao
Xiuping
X
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Guo
Xiaojie
X
Esper
Frank
F
Weibel
Carla
C
Kahn
Jeffrey S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D028941:Coronavirus 229E, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins