Molecular and serological analysis of linked blood donor and recipient samples to rule out transmission of parvovirus B19 infection by transfusion

Authors

• MJ Miller
• ML Virata
• H Yan
• L Zhong
• S Tarafdar
• S Fowler
• P Zhang
• HJ Alter
• V De Giorgi

Abstract

Parvovirus B19 (B19V), a rare transfusion-transmissible infection, has been found in asymptomatic blood donors. The objective of this prospective study was to test linked blood donor-recipient samples taken from participants at NIH Clinical Center, Suburban Hospital, and Children’s National Medical Center for the presence of B19V DNA and anti-B19 IgG antibodies to investigate the risk of transmission of B19V by blood transfusion. Posttransfusion recipient plasma samples were tested for B19V DNA at 1, 2, 4, and/or 8 weeks by nested PCR, and for anti-B19V IgG at 12 and 24 weeks (or more) by ELISA. To confirm B19V DNA-positive recipients, pretransfusion and linked donation samples were tested for B19V DNA, anti-B19V IgG and/or IgM. Tested samples included 2435 DNA samples from 1533 blood transfusion recipients and 2348 anti-B19V IgG samples available for 1349 recipients. No new transfusion-transmitted B19V infections were identified. Nineteen (19) of 1533 recipients (1.2%) had a DNA-positive result during the study. Eight hundred and seventy-two (872) of 1349 recipients were positive for anti-B19V IgG antibody (64.6%). Antibody titers fluctuated among some recipients from 12 weeks to 24 weeks. The B19V DNA positive rate remained low (1.2%). Other B19V DNA-positive recipients likely had already been infected prior to the study, therefore already had anti-B19 IgG or anti-B19V IgG complexed with B19 virus in their serum samples. The results confirm a low rate of B19V infection in these linked donor-recipient samples, indicating a low risk of transfusion-transmitted infection of B19V.

Scientific Focus Area: Epidemiology

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