title: Relation between parvovirus B19 infection and fetal mortality and spontaneous abortion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection with parvovirus B19 may cause fetal losses including spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal death and non-immune hydrops fetalis. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of parvovirus B19 in formalin fixed placental tissues in lost fetuses using real-time PCR method.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 100 formalin fixed placental tissues with unknown cause of fetal death were determined using real-time PCR method after DNA extraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six out of 100 cases (6%) were positive for parvovirus B19 using real-time PCR. Gestational age of all positive cases was less than 20 weeks with a mean of 12.3 weeks. Three cases have a history of abortion and all of positive cases were collected in spring. Mean age of positive cases were 28 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parvovirus B19 during pregnancy can infect red precursor cells and induces apoptosis or lyses these cells that resulting in anemia and congestive heart failure leading to fetal death. Management of parvovirus B19 infection in pregnant women is important because immediate diagnosis and transfusion in hydropsic fetuses can decrease the risk of fetal death.
authors.affiliation: MS, Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. zh.aseman@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.affiliation: PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. esghaei.m@iums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esghaei
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. keyvanlab@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keyvani
authors.affiliation: MD, Assistant Professor, Pathology laboratory, Taleghani hospital, Arak University of Medical sciences, Arak, Iran. sarmadifaetme@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Fateme
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shabani
authors.affiliation: MS, Taleghani hospital, Arak University of Medical sciences, Arak, Iran. fatemeshabani46897@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fateme
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sarmadi
authors.affiliation: PhD student, Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hamid2008kmu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mollaie
authors.affiliation: PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. hrmonavari@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Seyed Hamidreza
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Monavari
keywords: Fetal death; Human Parvovirus B19; Placenta