title: Immune reconstitution to parvovirus B19 and resolution of anemia in a patient treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.
abstract: Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is an unsolved problem in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection. Despite the high seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 (PVB19) among HIV-1-positive patients, reports on PVB19-induced anemia, especially that associated with PVB19-related IRIS, in these patients are limited. We present the case of a man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who developed severe transfusion-dependent anemia and was seropositive and borderline positive for immunoglobulin-M and IgG antibodies against PVB19, respectively. PVB19-DNA was also detected in his serum. The patient was diagnosed with pure red cell anemia (PRCA) caused by a primary PVB19 infection and was treated with periodical blood transfusions. However, he subsequently tested negative for IgG antibodies and developed chronic severe anemia with high levels of PVB19 viremia. This indicated a transition from primary to persistent infection. After initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the patient showed an inflammatory reaction with rapid deterioration of anemia and seroconversion of the IgG antibody to PVB19. Subsequently, PRCA was completely resolved, but the patient's serum still contained low levels of PVB19-DNA. Thus, this was a case of IRIS associated with PVB19 infection. Our report highlights the significance of seroconversion to PVB19 in the diagnosis of IRIS and re-emphasizes the finding that persistently high levels of PVB19 viremia after primary infection are probably because of the lack of protective antibodies.
authors.affiliation: AIDS Medical Center, National Hospital Organization Osaka National Hospital, 2-1-14 Hoenzaka, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka, 540-0006, Japan. dai@onh.go.jp
authors.forename: Dai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Naruhito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Shinjiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tominari
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uehira
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirasaka
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D054019:Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human