iScience (Mar 2023)

Kinetics of viral DNA in body fluids and antibody response in patients with acute Monkeypox virus infection

  • Francesca Colavita,
  • Valentina Mazzotta,
  • Gabriella Rozera,
  • Isabella Abbate,
  • Fabrizio Carletti,
  • Carmela Pinnetti,
  • Giulia Matusali,
  • Silvia Meschi,
  • Annalisa Mondi,
  • Daniele Lapa,
  • Serena Vita,
  • Claudia Minosse,
  • Camilla Aguglia,
  • Roberta Gagliardini,
  • Eliana Specchiarello,
  • Aurora Bettini,
  • Emanuele Nicastri,
  • Enrico Girardi,
  • Francesco Vaia,
  • Andrea Antinori,
  • Fabrizio Maggi

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 26, no. 3
p. 106102

Abstract

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Summary: We report the follow-up laboratory investigation of three MPXV cases infected in May-June 2022 from diagnosis to disease resolution, monitoring viral shedding in different body fluids and antibody kinetics. Out of 138 non-lesion samples, viral DNA was found in 92.3% saliva, 85.7% semen, 86.2% oropharyngeal swabs, 51.7% plasma, 46.1% stool, and 9.5% urine samples. Viral load quantified by digital PCR widely varied, but tend to be higher in oropharyngeal swabs, saliva, and stool. Replication competent virus was recovered from four out of seventeen samples, including 1 saliva, 1 oropharyngeal swabs, 1 semen, and 1 stool. The analysis of the antibody kinetics revealed that IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies were detected within two weeks post-symptoms onset for all three patients, with IgG detected early on at day 4-8 and IgM and IgA showing lower titers along the time frame of the study. Antibody levels increased during the second week of illness with IgG reaching high titers.

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