title: High prevalence of antibodies against polyomavirus WU, polyomavirus KI, and human bocavirus in German blood donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  DNA of the polyomaviruses WU (WUPyV) and KI (KIPyV) and of human bocavirus (HBoV) has been detected with varying frequency in respiratory tract samples of children. However, only little is known about the humoral immune response against these viruses. Our aim was to establish virus-specific serological assays and to determine the prevalence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) against these three viruses in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The capsid proteins VP1 of WUPyV and KIPyV and VP2 of HBoV were cloned into baculovirus vectors and expressed in Sf9 insect cells. IgG antibodies against WUPyV VP1, KIPyV VP1, and HBoV VP2 were determined by immunofluorescence assays in 100 plasma samples of blood donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the blood donors was 31 years (range 20 - 66 yrs), 52% were male. 89% of the samples were positive for WUPyV IgG (median age 31 yrs, 49.4% male), 67% were positive for KIPyV IgG (median age 32 yrs, 46.3% male), and 76% were positive for HBoV IgG (median age 32 yrs, 51.3% male). For WUPyV and HBoV, there were no significant differences of the seropositivity rates with respect to age groups or gender. For KIPyV, the seropositivity rate increased significantly from 59% in the age group 20 - 29 years to 100% in the age group > 50 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High prevalences of antibodies against WUPyV, KIPyV, and HBoV were found in plasma samples of healthy adults. The results indicate that primary infection with these viruses occurs during childhood or youth. For KIPyV, the seropositivity appears to increase further during adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str 7, 97078 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neske
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prifert
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scheiner
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ewald
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Opitz
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weissbrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D001782:Blood Donors; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D056661:Human bocavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D018411:Spodoptera
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011994:Recombinant Proteins