Low frequency of recent parvovirus infection in a population-based cohort of patients with early inflammatory polyarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the contribution of human parvovirus B19 infection in explaining the incidence of early inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) in a population.


METHODS
The Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR) is a community-based programme aiming to ascertain all new cases of IP arising in a population that lead to attendance at primary care.


METHODS
147 newly ascertained subjects with IP with a disease duration of less than 16 weeks.


METHODS
Full clinical appraisal of all subjects who were followed up for three years. B19 IgM assayed with a third generation antibody capture enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
Only four (2.7%) patients had evidence of recent B19 infection, only one of whom did not satisfy criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


CONCLUSIONS
B19 infection does not explain more than a small proportion of either RA or undifferentiated IP cases occurring in the population.
ARC Epidemiology Research Unit, Manchester.
B
B
Harrison
A
A
Silman
E
E
Barrett
D
D
Symmons
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000821:virology*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M