High seroprevalence of neutralizing capacity against human metapneumovirus in all age groups studied in Bonn, Germany

Abstract

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections occur frequently despite high rates of perpetual seroprevalence for all age groups. Analyses of approximately 2,000 archived, randomly selected serum samples demonstrated that neutralizing capacities remain high, with a minor decrease for individuals over 69 years of age, leading to the hypothesis that reinfections occur because humoral immune responses play minor roles in the clearance of hMPV infections.

FIG. 1.

(a) Dilution series were performed for quality control. Cells were infected with decreasing amounts of hMPV and incubated for 7 days before an XTT test was performed. Data are given as means ± standard errors of the means (SEMs). (b) Evaluation of neutralizing capacity, using an XTT-based neutralization assay for children. Sera were grouped by age in order to elucidate putative breast-feeding-derived neutralization capacity. Data are given as means ± SEMs. (c) Sera from a total of 1,953 patients were screened for neutralizing capacity, using an XTT-based neutralization assay. Data are given as means ± SEMs. AU, arbitrary units; *, results significantly different from those for 0- to 9-year-old group (P ≤ 0.05).