Serological study of parvovirus B19 infection in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions.

The feto-pathogenic association of parvovirus B19 (B19) has been sparingly studied in women with abortion, but not in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA). Serum samples from 116 women with RSA who were pre-screened for S-TORCH, Chlamydia trachomatis infections, anatomical, chromosomal, endocrinal abnormality and Rh incompatibility and those who had no such known causes of abortion were included in the study. Sera were also collected from 136 normal pregnant women and 120 normal non-pregnant women as disease and normal control respectively. All sera were tested at 1:400 dilutions for B19 IgM by in-house ELISA using cloned and baculovirus expressed VP1 and VP2 antigens of B19. The frequency of anti-B19 IgM antibodies in women with RSA was 19.8%, in pregnant females it was 11% and in normal non-pregnant female was 5%. Sera of 23 women with RSA which were positive for B19 IgM tested negative for B19 DNA by PCR. Patients with RSA should be screened for B19 infection and guidelines for treatment should emerge.