Comparison Between Serological and Molecular Detection of Human Parvovirus B19 Infection Among Pregnant Women with Spontaneous Abortion in Kirkuk, Iraq

Background: Human parvovirus B19 (HPV19) is a widespread virus that primarily affects youngsters in their school years. Acute infection is a known concern for pregnant women and their unborn children since the mother’s immune system is suppressed during pregnancy. This can have devastating effects on both the mother and the unborn child. Infection with HPV19 during pregnancy has been linked to a variety of adverse outcomes, including congenital defects, stunted development, abortion, and even stillbirth. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare serologic and molecular methods in the detection of HPV19 infection in pregnant women who had spontaneous abortion in Kirkuk city. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 135 aborted women were attended Gynecological and Pediatric Hospital and private laboratories in Kirkuk city from the period between the beginning of November 2022 to the end of April 2023. The sera obtained from samples were analyzed for IgM- and IgG-specific antibodies of HPV19 using ELISA technique and detection of viral DNA using real-time PCR. Results: A total of 135 aborted women aged 15–45 were enrolled in this study. The result showed high rate of women with spontaneous abortions were within the age group 26–35 year, with normal weight, had abortions more than two times and most of the women were from the urban area and aborted in the first trimester of pregnancy. The results indicate that out of the 13(9.63%) IgM+ve cases of aborted pregnant women samples evaluated, 11 cases (84.62%) were found to be positive for HPV19 DNA through real-time PCR testing. Furthermore, among the cases with 28 (20.74%) positive IgG results, 1 case (3.57%) was also positive for HPV19 DNA. This indicates that a small proportion of IgG-positive cases were also found to have detectable Parvovirus B19 DNA. On the other hand, none of the cases classified as ELISA-negative were positive for B19DNA. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a high prevalence of B19 DNA detected through PCR analysis in IgM-positive cases, supporting the association between HPV19 infection and the presence of viral genetic material. The presence of HPV19 DNA in a small proportion of IgG-positive cases suggests the possibility of ongoing viral replication or persistence. The absence of HPV19 DNA in ELISA-negative cases indicates the specificity of the PCR test in detecting the viral genetic material.