IgM Antibody Detection in Acute Viral Diseases, 1995-2004

Analysis of Data Collected at a Commercial Diagnostic Laboratory in Japan

Abstract

We analyzed data from tests for virus-specific IgM in 376, 000 serum specimens sent to a commercial diagnostic laboratory from clinics nationwide between 1995 and 2004. IgM antibodies to measles, rubella, mumps, parvo B19, and varicella-zoster viruses were tested using IgM-capture ELISA kits. Among specimens, 254, 000 (68%) had documentation of age, of which 56% were sera from persons<20 and 44%≥20 years of age. Monthly or yearly trends in IgM antibody-positive tests in< 20 year-old persons were similar to those in pediatric patients per sentinel clinic reported by the National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (NESID), which collects weekly numbers of patients with designated infectious diseases from 3000 pediatrics clinics nationwide. Patterns of changes in monthly IgM positive tests in both<20 and ≥20 y specimens were similar, indicating that infections occur simultaneously in both children and adults. Adult IgM-positive specimens came from internal medicine clinics and from dermatology clinics for measles; from dermatology and obstetrics clinics for rubella and parvo B19; from otolaryngology clinics for mumps; and from dermatology and otolaryngology clinics for varicella-zoster virus. Analysis of large numbers of IgM test results at regular intervals may contribute to understanding of the epidemiology of these viral diseases in Japan.