Human parvovirus B19 infected fetal liver as a source of antigen for a radioimmunoassay for B19 specific IgM in clinical samples.

A radioimmunoassay for human parvovirus B19 IgM was developed using virus antigen derived from infected fetal liver obtained post mortem. The specificity and sensitivity of this assay, compared with an established radioimmunoassay using serum antigen, was determined by testing 126 sera by both techniques. The results obtained demonstrated close concordance. False negative results were not obtained using fetal liver antigen in 58 tests on known B19 IgM negative sera. Sixty-four IgM positive sera gave positive results using fetal liver derived antigen and the results obtained were quantitatively similar. Four sera gave false positive results using liver antigen but at a very low level. In view of these results we were able to establish a routine diagnostic service for B19 IgM using fetal liver derived antigen, and the results obtained on the first 459 clinical specimens are presented.