Seroepidemiology of human bocavirus defined using recombinant virus-like particles.
BACKGROUND
Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly identified human parvovirus for which seroepidemiology and antigenic properties remain undefined.


METHODS
The HBoV VP2 gene, expressed from a baculovirus vector, produced virus-like particles (VLPs), which were used to raise rabbit anti-HBoV antisera and to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The VLP-based ELISA was used to screen for HBoV-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in a convenience sample of 270 serum specimens, mostly from children, obtained at Yale-New Haven Hospital; 208 specimens were also screened for erythrovirus B19-specific antibodies by a B19 VLP-based ELISA.


RESULTS
Immunofluorescence and ELISA showed that human parvoviruses HBoV and B19 are antigenically distinct. By the HBoV VLP-based ELISA, 91.8% and 63.6% of serum specimens from infants in the first and second months of life, respectively, were found to be seropositive, as were 45.4% from 3-month-old infants and 25.0% from 4-month-old infants. The percentages of HBoV-seropositive children increased to 40.7%-60.0% for children 5-47 months of age and to >85% for individuals >or=48 months old. However, the overall percentage of B19-seropositive individuals was <40.5% for all age groups screened.


CONCLUSIONS
HBoV infection is common during childhood, but a minority of children and young adults screened have evidence of B19 infection.
Kahn
Jeffrey S
JS
Dept. of Pediatrics, Div. of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, PO Box 208064, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA.jeffrey.kahn@yale.edu
Kesebir
Deniz
D
Cotmore
Susan F
SF
D'Abramo
Anthony
A
Cosby
Christi
C
Weibel
Carla
C
Tattersall
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D052660:Bocavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D007223:Infant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins