title: High incidence of parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial tissue of patients with undifferentiated mono- and oligoarthritis.
abstract: A common problem in rheumatological practice is inflammatory joint disease that cannot be classified. The prognosis of such undifferentiated arthritides is uncertain. The synovial tissue of 41 consecutive patients with various forms of arthritis was tested for the presence of viral DNA in a diagnosis-unaware fashion, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of all tested viruses, cytomegalovirus and parvovirus B19 were positive (each in 10 patients, two double-positives), whereas herpes simplex virus was positive in two patients. Rubella virus RNA was detected in three specimens. When the positivity for viral material was analysed in terms of distribution among the various diagnostic groups, it became evident that five out of 10 parvovirus B 19-positive patients belonged to the undifferentiated arthritis group, whereas cytomegalovirus-positive patients were spread among all diagnostic groups. This indicates the possibility of a new diagnostic category of undifferentiated mono- and oligoarthritis, which can be identified by the presence of parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial tissue.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hubner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altrichter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pustowoit
authors.forename: U G
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Liebert
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Salis-Soglio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Emmrich
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001168:Arthritis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group; D002648:Child; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008193:Lyme Disease; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017992:Parvovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000821:virology*; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral