ANTIBODIES TO THE NONSTRUCTURAL PROTEIN OF PARVOVIRUS B19 IN PERSISTENTLY INFECTED PATIENTS - IMPLICATIONS FOR PATHOGENESIS

Three patients with persistent parvovirus B19 infection, as documented by the prolonged presence of IgM directed to the viral capsid protein s and detection of viral DNA in serum by dot-blot hybridization or pol ymerase chain reaction (PCR), were investigated for the presence of an tibodies to the nonstructural protein NS-1 of parvovirus B19. This was done by using an ELISA based on recombinant NS-1 protein, Whereas con trol sera displayed no reactivity, sera from persistently infected pat ients showed a strong specific antibody response to NS-1. Patients wer e followed for 3-18 months, during which IgM titers declined but IgG d irected to the nonstructural protein remained detectable. The appearan ce of NS-1-specific antibodies might indicate an altered course of vir al infection leading to the establishment of persistently active infec tion and subsequent destruction of cells of nonerythroid lineage.