Large-scale screening for human parvovirus B19 DNA in clinical specimens by dot blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction.

Large-scale screening for human parvovirus B19 (B19) DNA in serum samples was carried out by both dot blot hybridization and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Dot blot hybridization was undertaken with a digoxigenin-labeled DNA probe. Serum samples from four patients were pooled and tested by a dot blot hybridization assay. When a dot was positive, each of the four samples was tested separately to identify the positive sample. The PCR template was the DNA extracted from mixed serum samples from 10 patients. When B19 DNA was positive by PCR, each of the ten samples was tested separately. A total of 7,969 serum samples were tested by dot blot hybridization and 15 samples (11 patients) were positive for B19 DNA; 7,038 serum samples were tested by PCR and 71 samples (50 patients) were positive. Large-scale screening for B19 DNA by PCR suggested a broader spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with B19 infection.