Persistence of human parvovirus B19 in human tissues.
Human parvovirus B19 infection causes various clinical symptoms, such as rash, arthropathy, anemias and fetal death, but it can also remain asymptomatic. The arthropathies and anemias can become chronic for several years, not infrequently resembling autoimmune syndromes. B19 replicates only in red blood cell precursors of bone marrow or fetal liver, resulting in high-titred short-lived viremia, but viral DNA is detectable also in cells of several other types. Recently B19 DNA has been found, by very sensitive amplification tests, in certain tissues not only of symptomatic but also of healthy individuals for several years or decades after B19 infection. The mere presence of B19 DNA in these tissues of a symptomatic patient (e.g. joints in chronic arthritis or skin in dermatomyositis) thereby does not prove that the present disease is caused by B19. The diagnosis has to be verified by other innovative means. How and why viral DNA persists in the tissues of healthy individuals is under investigation.
Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Maria.Soderlund-Venermo@Helsinki.fi
Maria
M
Söderlund-Venermo
Kati
K
Hokynar
Janne
J
Nieminen
Henna
H
Rautakorpi
Klaus
K
Hedman
D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000821:virology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000821:virology; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000821:virology; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012867:Skin / Q000821:virology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000821:virology; D014766:Viremia
D004279:DNA, Viral