title: Comparative Diagnosis of Human Bocavirus 1 Respiratory Infection With Messenger RNA Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), DNA Quantitative PCR, and Serology.
abstract: Human bocavirus (HBoV) 1 can cause life-threatening respiratory tract infection in children. Diagnosing acute HBoV1 infection is challenging owing to long-term airway persistence. We assessed whether messenger RNA (mRNA) detection would correlate better than DNA detection with acute HBoV1 infection.
  
  
  
  Paired serum samples from 121 children with acute wheezing were analyzed by means of serology. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse-transcription (RT) PCR were applied to nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples from all acutely HBoV1-infected children and from controls with nonacute infection.
  
  
  
  By serology, 16 of 121 children (13.2%) had acute HBoV1 infection, all of whom had HBoV1 DNA in NPS samples, and 12 of 16 (75%) had HBoV1 mRNA. Among 25 children with nondiagnostic results, 6 had HBoV1 DNA in NPS samples, and 1 had mRNA. All 13 mRNA-positive samples exhibited high DNA loads (≥106 copies/mL). No mRNA persisted for 2 weeks, whereas HBoV1 DNA persisted for 2 months in 4 children; 1 year later all 15 samples were DNA negative. Compared with serology, DNA PCR had high clinical sensitivity (100%) but, because of viral persistence, low specificity (76%). In contrast, mRNA RT-PCR had low clinical sensitivity (75%) but high specificity (96%).
  
  
  
  A combination of HBoV1 serology and nasopharyngeal DNA quantitative PCR and mRNA RT-PCR should be used for accurate diagnosis of HBoV1 infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki.
authors.forename: Man
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki.
authors.forename: Benedict
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arku
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, and.
authors.forename: Tuomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jartti
authors.affiliation: ArcDia International, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koskinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, and.
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peltola
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki.|Helsinki University Hospital.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, University of Helsinki.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Söderlund-Venermo
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D056661:Human bocavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000821:virology; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012135:Respiratory Sounds; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: RT-PCR; diagnosis; human bocavirus 1; qPCR; respiratory tract infection.; serology; wheezing children