title: Incidence and clinical significance of human parvovirus B19 infection in kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: Human parvovirus B19 (B19) infection has been known to cause chronic anemia, pure red cell aplasia (PRCA), glomerulopathy, and allograft dysfunction in kidney transplant (KT) recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical significance of B19 infection in KT recipients. A total of 537 serum samples from 167 KT recipients were included in the present study. The incidence of B19 infection was based on either qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or quantitative PCR with LightCycler Parvovirus B19 Quantitation kit. Clinical significance of B19 infection was investigated by a retrospective review of hemoglobin (Hb) levels and the results of kidney and bone marrow biopsies. The overall PCR positive rate was 18.3% (98/537), and 52 of 167 (31.1%) KT recipients showed at least one positive PCR. In addition, 20 of 167 subjects (12.0%) showed PCR-positivity more than two consecutive times, and they had significantly lower Hb levels than those with negative or one positive PCR (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, two patients suffered from PRCA, which was confirmed by bone marrow biopsy. However, B19 infection did not seem to affect the graft outcome. In conclusion, the B19 infection in KT recipients was not uncommon and was associated with low Hb levels and PRCA after KT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Seok
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ki
authors.forename: In-Suk
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Nam-Yong
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Joo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Joh
authors.forename: Woo Seong
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Ha Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D015994:Incidence; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012010:Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006454:Hemoglobins; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous