This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Prince, H. E.
Right arrow Articles by Busch, M. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Prince, H. E.
Right arrow Articles by Busch, M. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2005, p. 4316-4320, Vol. 43, No. 9
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.9.4316-4320.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Development and Persistence of West Nile Virus-Specific Immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG in Viremic Blood Donors

Harry E. Prince,1* Leslie H. Tobler,2 Mary Lapé-Nixon,1 Gregory A. Foster,3 Susan L. Stramer,3 and Michael P. Busch2

Focus Diagnostics, Cypress,1 Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California,2 American Red Cross Blood Services, Gaithersburg, Maryland3

Received 24 November 2004/ Returned for modification 9 March 2005/ Accepted 2 June 2005

West Nile Virus (WNV) antibody development and persistence were investigated in blood donors who made WNV RNA-positive (viremic) donations in 2003. Plasma samples from the index donations and follow-up serum or plasma samples were tested for WNV immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Antibody development was investigated with 154 samples collected from 84 donors 1 to 21 days after their RNA-positive, antibody-negative, index donation. WNV IgM and IgA were first detected on day 3, and all samples collected after day 9 were WNV IgM and IgA positive; WNV IgG was first detected on day 4, and all samples collected after day 16 were positive. Antibody persistence in this donor group (index donations antibody negative) was evaluated by using 128 samples collected from 89 donors on days 22 to 440 of follow-up; 88% of samples were WNV IgM positive, 86% were WNV IgA positive, and 100% were WNV IgG positive. In linear regression analysis, trendlines for WNV IgM and IgA reached the value discriminating positive from negative results at 218 days and 232 days of follow-up, respectively. Similar WNV IgM and IgA persistence trends characterized 27 donors whose index samples were positive for WNV IgM and IgA, as well as 14 donors whose index samples were positive for WNV IgG but negative for WNV IgM. These findings show that WNV IgG emerges after WNV IgM and IgA and that both WNV IgM and IgA typically persist for at least 6 months after infection. Thus, unlike some other flavivirus infections, WNV infection is not characterized by a relatively rapid disappearance of virus-specific IgA.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Focus Diagnostics, 5785 Corporate Ave., Cypress, CA 90630. Phone: (714) 503-2047. Fax: (714) 484-1296. E-mail: hprince{at}focusdx.com.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, September 2005, p. 4316-4320, Vol. 43, No. 9
0095-1137/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.43.9.4316-4320.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Duffy, M. R., Chen, T.-H., Hancock, W. T., Powers, A. M., Kool, J. L., Lanciotti, R. S., Pretrick, M., Marfel, M., Holzbauer, S., Dubray, C., Guillaumot, L., Griggs, A., Bel, M., Lambert, A. J., Laven, J., Kosoy, O., Panella, A., Biggerstaff, B. J., Fischer, M., Hayes, E. B. (2009). Zika Virus Outbreak on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia. NEJM 360: 2536-2543 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Prince, H. E., Tobler, L. H., Yeh, C., Gefter, N., Custer, B., Busch, M. P. (2007). Persistence of West Nile Virus-Specific Antibodies in Viremic Blood Donors. CVI 14: 1228-1230 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Oceguera, L. F. III, Patiris, P. J., Chiles, R. E., Busch, M. P., Tobler, L. H., Hanson, C. V. (2007). Flavivirus Serology by Western Blot Analysis. Am J Trop Med Hyg 77: 159-163 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schweitzer, B. K., Kramer, W. L., Sambol, A. R., Meza, J. L., Hinrichs, S. H., Iwen, P. C. (2006). Geographic Factors Contributing to a High Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus-Specific Antibodies in Humans following an Epidemic.. CVI 13: 314-318 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Prince, H. E., Lape-Nixon, M., Busch, M. P., Tobler, L. H., Foster, G. A., Stramer, S. L. (2005). Utilization of Follow-Up Specimens from Viremic Blood Donors To Assess the Value of West Nile Virus Immunoglobulin G Avidity as an Indicator of Recent Infection. CVI 12: 1123-1126 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»