Parvovirus B19 infection of bone marrow in systemic sclerosis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of human parvovirus B19 (B19) infection in the bone marrow of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.


METHODS
Twenty-one consecutive SSc patients and 15 sex- and age-matched subjects without immunological rheumatic diseases were studied for: (i) the presence of circulating anti-B19 antibodies (anti-B19 IgG and IgM type and anti-B19 NS1 IgG) detected by means of standard methodologies, and (ii) B19 genomic sequences in sera and bone marrow biopsy specimens using a nested-PCR technique.


RESULTS
The presence of B19 DNA was demonstrated in a significant percentage of bone marrow biopsies from SSc patients (12/21; 57%) and was never detected in the control group (p < 0.01). In no case was the B19 viremia observed, while serum anti-B19 NS1 antibodies, possible markers of B19 persistent infection, were more frequently detected in SSc patients than in controls (33% vs 13%). SSc patients with bone marrow B19 infection showed a shorter mean disease duration than B19-negative patients (5.6 +/- 4.2 vs 12.7 +/- 7.8 yrs; p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first demonstration of bone marrow B19 infection in a significant percentage of SSc patients. The possible etiopathogenetic role of B19 should be verified in a larger patients series and further investigated by means of molecular biology studies.
Ferri
C
C
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy. c.ferri@int.med.unipi.it
Zakrzewska
K
K
Longombardo
G
G
Giuggioli
D
D
Storino
F A
FA
Pasero
G
G
Azzi
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000821:virology; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G