Abstract
Background: Pregnant women acutely infected with human parvovirus B19 (B19) may transmit the virus to the developing fetus. The mechanism whereby the virus interacts with the placenta is unknown. It is known that
globoside receptor is required for successful infection of the target cells, which are the highly undifferentiated, actively dividing colony and burst-form units of the erythroid series. Globoside is present on trophoblast cells which have intimate contact with maternal blood, and may therefore serve as a potential route for B19 transmission into the fetal compartment.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether B19 VP2 capsids could bind to villous trophoblast cells in vitro and whether globoside was involved.Methods: Binding of B19 VP2 empty capsid to first-trimester villous trophoblast cells was assessed by multiple approaches, including ICC using either biotinylated B19 VP2 empty capsid or unlabeled B19 VP2 empty capsid. Quantification of viral binding involved