Association between human parvovirus B19 infection and arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To gain information concerning the association between parvovirus B19 infection and arthritis.


METHODS
Blood or synovial fluid, or both, from a total of 77 adult patients with various arthropathies (rheumatoid arthritis 13; mechanical arthropathies 11; crystal induced arthritis 13; idiopathic mono/oligoarthritis 25; suspicion of viral arthritis 15) were tested for the presence of the viral genome and anti-B19 antibodies. B19 DNA in blood and synovial fluid was investigated by nested polymerase chain reaction, and anti-B19 IgM and IgG antibodies were detected in blood by enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
A recent parvovirus infection was documented by the presence of anti-B19 IgM antibodies in the blood of 13 patients. B19 DNA, together with anti-B19 IgM and IgG antibodies, were detected in the blood of seven patients who had an acute transient arthritis, putatively of viral origin. Viral DNA was detected in a synovial fluid sample and in the blood of one patient with monoarthritis who had an anti-B19 IgG response only.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of anti-B19 IgG antibody in these patients with various forms of arthritis (63%) was within the same range as that in the general population (blood donors). However, for the patients with clinical suspicion of viral arthritis, the increased seroprevalence of anti-B19 IgM and the presence of the B19 genome point to an association between human parvovirus infections and acute forms of arthritis.
Cassinotti
P
P
Institute for Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, St Gallen, Switzerland.
Bas
S
S
Siegl
G
G
Vischer
T L
TL
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007075:Immunoglobulin M