Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 53 (1), 21, 2000

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Laboratory and Epidemiology Communications

Seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 among HIV-1-Positives in Japan

Hitomi Taguchi1, Takeshi Yamada1, Takashi Takahashi1, Mieko Gotoh1, Tetsuya Nakamura2 and Aikichi Iwamoto1, 2 *

1Department of Infectious Diseases and 2Department of Infectious Diseases and Applied Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Shirokanedai 4-6-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639

Communicated by Aikichi Iwamoto

(Accepted March 22, 2000)

Human parvovirus B19 (B19) is a causative agent of erythema infectiosum (fifth disease). It infects erythfoid progenitor cells and thereby causes acute red cell aplasia in patients under hematopoietic stress (1). As HIV-1 infected patients are often placed under hematopoietic stress by factors such as zidovudine therapy, we examined seroprevalence among HIV-1 seropositives.

A total of 258 HIV-1 seropositives treated in our hospital were examined for the presence of anti-B19 IgG and IgM antibodies by using recombinant VP1 and VP2 coated microplates for ELISA (Denka Seiken Co. Ltd., Tokyo) (2). Hemophiliacs, 113 cases were aquired HIV-1 infection through contaminated blood products. The remaining145 were probably infected via sexual routes.

The positive rate for anti-B19 IgG was 96% (108/113) for the former group and 50% (73/145) for the latter group (Table). The difference was significant (P < 0.001 in ƒÔ square test). The seroprevalence of B19 IgG in the non-hemophiliac group, 50%, was almost the same as in the healthy population in Japan (2). The anti-B19 IgG positives among the latter group were tested for anti-B19 IgM, but all were negative.

Our result showing the higher seroprevalence of anti-B19 among hemophiliacs is in agreement with previous reports (3, 4).

We thank Dr. D. Chao for discussion. The work was supported by grants from the Organization for Pharmaceutical Safety and Research (OPSR) of Japan, Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan, and the Japan Science Foundation.

REFERENCES

  1. Young, N. (1998): Hematologic and hematopoietic consequences of B19 parvovirus infection. Semin. Hematol., 25, 159-172.
  2. Matsunaga, Y., Takeda, N., Yamazaki, S., Kamata, K. and Kurosawa, D. (1995): Seroepidemiology of human parvovirus B19 using recombinant VP1+VP2 particle antigen. J. Jpn. Assoc. Infect. Dis., 69, 1371-1375 (in Japanese).
  3. Schwartz, T.F., Hottentrager, B. and Roggendorf, M. (1992): Prevalence of antibodies to parvovirus B19 in selected groups of patients and healthy individuals. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. Virol. Parasitol. Infect. Dis., 276, 437-442.
  4. Fukushima, Y., Okuyama, K., Komuro, K., Ueda, M., Fukutake, K. and Fujimaki, M. (1991): Elevated C1q-bearing immune complex in hemophiliacs with viral infections. Jpn. J. Clin. Hematol., 32, 1540-1546 (in Japanese).

*Corresponding author: Fax: +81-3-5449-5427, E-mail: aikichi@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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