title: Neutralizing and IgG antibodies against simian virus 40 in healthy pregnant women in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Polyomavirus simian virus 40 (SV40) sequences have been detected in various human specimens and SV40 antibodies have been found in human sera from both healthy individuals and cancer patients. This study analyzed serum samples from healthy pregnant women as well as cord blood samples to determine the prevalence of SV40 antibodies in pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were collected at the time of delivery from two groups of pregnant women as well as cord bloods from one group. The women were born between 1967 and 1993. Samples were assayed by two different serological methods, one group by neutralization of viral infectivity and the other by indirect ELISA employing specific SV40 mimotopes as antigens. Viral DNA assays by real-time polymerase chain reaction were carried out on blood samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neutralization and ELISA tests indicated that the pregnant women were SV40 antibody-positive with overall prevalences of 10.6% (13/123) and 12.7% (14/110), respectively. SV40 neutralizing antibodies were detected in a low number of cord blood samples. Antibody titers were generally low. No viral DNA was detected in either maternal or cord bloods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SV40-specific serum antibodies were detected in pregnant women at the time of delivery and in cord bloods. There was no evidence of transplacental transmission of SV40. These data indicate that SV40 is circulating at a low prevalence in the northern Italian population long after the use of contaminated vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Medical Science Department, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy; Institute for Maternal and Child Health - IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Manola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comar
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pathology, Oncology and Experimental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tognon
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Janet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Butel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood*; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007558:Italy; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G