RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Lundstig, Annika A1 Eliasson, Linda A1 Lehtinen, Matti A1 Sasnauskas, Kestutis A1 Koskela, Pentti A1 Dillner, JoakimYR 2005 T1 Prevalence and stability of human serum antibodies to simian virus 40 VP1 virus-like particles JF Journal of General Virology, VO 86 IS 6 SP 1703 OP 1708 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.80783-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Possible human infection with simian virus 40 (SV40) has been of great concern ever since SV40 was discovered in polio vaccines. Human populations are SV40-seropositive, but because of serological cross-reactivity between SV40 and the human polyomaviruses BK virus (BKV) and JC virus (JCV), it is debatable whether these antibodies are specific. An SV40-specific serological assay was established, based on purified virus-like particles (VLPs), where the SV40 VLPs were blocked with hyperimmune sera to BKV and JCV. Competition with SV40 hyperimmune sera was used as a confirmatory test. Among 288 Swedish children of between 1 and 13 years of age, 7·6 % had SV40-specific antibodies. SV40 seroprevalence reached a peak of 14 % at 7–9 years of age. Among 100 control patients with benign tumours, 9 % were SV40-seropositive. However, SV40 DNA was not detectable in corresponding buffy-coat samples. In serial samples taken up to 5 years apart from 141 Finnish women participating in the population-based serological screening for congenital infections, only two of 141 women were SV40-seropositive in both samples. Six women seroconverted and eight women had a loss of antibodies over time. None of the SV40-seropositive samples contained detectable SV40 DNA. In conclusion, there is a low prevalence of SV40-specific antibodies in the Nordic population. The SV40 antibodies appear to have a low stability over time and their origin is not clear., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.80783-0