title: Anemia as a complication of parvovirus b19 infection in renal transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The frequency of B19 infection in renal transplant donors and recipients was studied to determine the significance of active viral infection in the development of anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum, plasma, and peripheral blood leukocyte samples of 47 renal transplant donors, 38 recipients with anemia (Group 1), and 25 without anemia (Group 2) after renal transplantation were evaluated for the presence of anti-B19 specific antibodies (ELISA) and B19 DNA (nPCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Active persistent B19 infection after renal transplantation was detected in 12 of the 38 in the Group 1 (10 had reactivation and 2 primary infection), and none of the recipients in the Group 2 had it. Of the 12 recipients in the Group 1, 10 were seropositive and 2 seronegative before renal transplantation; 10 received the transplants from the seropositive and 2 from seronegative donors. rHuEPO therapy-resistant severe anemia was detected only in the recipients with active B19 infection after renal transplantation in the Group 1 (7/12). The logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between active B19 infection and severe anemia (OR, 0.039; 95% CI, 0.006-0.257; P=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active B19 infection was documented only in the anemic recipients and could be associated with the development of severe anemia after renal transplantation. This allows us to recommend concurrent screening for viral DNA in plasma and detection of anti-B19 IgM class antibodies. To find the association between B19 infection and the development of anemia, further investigations are necessary.
authors.affiliation: August Kirchenstein Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Riga Stradins University, Ratsupites 5, 1067 Riga, Latvia. scapenko@latnet.lv
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Čapenko
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kozireva
authors.forename: Inese
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Folkmane
authors.forename: Kristīna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bernarde
authors.forename: Rafails
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rozentāls
authors.forename: Modra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murovska
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010322:Parvoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M