Seroepidemiology of human bocavirus defined using recombinant virus-like particles

J Infect Dis. 2008 Jul 1;198(1):41-50. doi: 10.1086/588674.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • Bocavirus / genetics
  • Bocavirus / immunology
  • Bocavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Capsid Proteins / chemistry
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics*
  • Capsid Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Infant
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Parvoviridae Infections / diagnosis
  • Parvoviridae Infections / epidemiology*
  • Parvoviridae Infections / immunology
  • Parvovirus B19, Human / immunology
  • Parvovirus B19, Human / isolation & purification
  • Rabbits
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Virion / genetics
  • Virion / immunology
  • Virion / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Capsid Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins