Erythrocyte P Antigen: Cellular Receptor for B19 Parvovirus

Abstract

The pathogenic human parvovirus B19 replicates only in erythroid progenitor cells. This virus was shown to bind to blood-group P antigen, as measured by hemagglutination. Erythrocytes lacking P antigen were not agglutinated with B19. Purified P antigen (globoside) blocked the binding of the virus to erythroid cells and the infectivity of the virus in a hematopoietic colony assay. Target cells were protected from infection by preincubation with monoclonal antibody to globoside. Knowledge of a parvovirus receptor has implications for understanding the pathogenesis of parvovirus infections and for the use of parvoviruses in gene therapy.

Acute Parvovirus B19 Infection Leading to Severe Aplastic Anemia in a Previously Healthy Adult Female

“…This tropism is because of Globoside (erythrocyte P antigen) that acts as receptor for the virus [15]. Other than erythroid progenitors, globoside is also present on placenta, fetal myocardium, some megakaryocytes and endothelial cells.…”

Transient parvovirus‐associated hypoplasia of multiple peripheral blood cell lines in children with chronic hemolytic anemia

“…In search of a mechanism of parvovirus-associated pancytopenia in a patient with HS, Hanada et al [15] showed that the incubation of bone marrow with parvovirus-containing serum significantly inhibits erythroid (CFU-E), myeloid (CFU-GM), and megakaryocytic (CFU-Mgk) growth. The inhibition of the erythroid precursors was most pronounced [15], and the erythroid P antigen (globoside), the site of viral entry into erythroid precursors, certainly mediates this preferential toxicity [16].…”

Pure red cell aplasia associated with parvovirus B19 infection occurring late after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

“…One such infection is caused by human parvovirus B19, a single-stranded DNA virus with tropism for erythroid progenitor cells [1]. While it has been believed that hematopoietic cell infection with parvovirus B19 is strictly confined to the erythroid series, viral growth can also be maintained in fetal liver cell cultures, and, in a case of pancytopenia after bone marrow transplantation, the parvovirus B19 capsid antigen has been detected within giant bone marrow granulocytes [2].…”