title: Impact of parvovirus B19 infection on paediatric patients with haematological and/or oncological disorders.
abstract: To determine the frequency and the impact of parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection and its influence on the course of haematological and/or oncological diseases in paediatric patients, consecutive serum and bone marrow samples from 110 were analyzed for markers of acute, past and persistent B19V-infection using qPCR, ELISA and WesternLine. Twenty-seven out of 110 (24.5%) children suffered from non-malignant diseases (anaemia, pancytopenia, autoimmune disorders); 68/110 (61.8%) patients had developed leukaemia, malignant lymphoma or solid malignant tumours; 15/110 patients (13.6%) presented with other symptoms. At admission, B19V-specific IgM and IgG indicating acute or previous B19V-infection were observed in 5 (4.5%) and 48 patients (43.6%), respectively. B19V-DNA (10(3) -10(9)  geq/mL) was detectable in serum and/or bone marrow of 22 patients (20.0%). These suffered from leukaemia (5), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (2), solid tumours (6), autoimmune (4) and haematological (4) disease and fever (1). During clinical observation four further leukaemia patients developed viraemia and persistent B19V-infection was observed in 13/22 DNA-positive patients. Treatment of B19V-DNA-positive cancer patients was associated with more supportive therapy involving erythrocyte and thrombocyte transfusion and/or antibiotic therapy. Acute B19V-infection has been frequently observed in paediatric patients with haematological and/or oncological disease. In patients with non-malignant diseases anaemia or autoimmune disorders were diagnosed in association with B19V-infection. Furthermore, a significant number of cancer patients displayed markers for acute, recent or persistent B19V-infection. This association may be strengthened by frequent treatment with blood products combined with therapeutic immune suppression. In B19V-infected cancer patients supportive therapy was more complex.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jitschin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plentz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turowski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Segerer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Modrow
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000821:virology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral