Parvovirus B19 infections serological diagnostics in rheumatic diseases

Abstract

Objective. To study contamination with parvovirus B19 of a group of patients with rheumatic diseases (RD). Methods. 77 pts with RD (mean age 42,5 years, 79% female) admitted to Institute of Rheumatology of RAMS were examined. 34 of them had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 11 - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjogren's disease (SD), 15 with osteoarthritis (OA) and seronegative spondyloarthritides (SS) and 17 with early (before a year) undifferentiated arthritis (EUA). Quantitative determination of IgM and IgG serum antibodies to parvovirus BI9 was performed by I FA with IBL kits (Hamburg, Germany). Results. Anti-B19 IgG antibodies were found in 52% of pts, IgM antibodies - only in one case. Mean antibodies values in pts with RD of disease duration less then 6 months were significantly higher then in pts with longer disease duration (21,5+36 U/ml and 8,4+14.7 U/ml respectively, p<0,05). Anti-B 19 antibodies were present in 62% of pts with RA, 53% of pts with EUA, 45% of pts with SD, 33% of pts with OA and SS. High levels of antibodies (4-10 times higher positivity threshold) were revealed in 13 pts with different RD with short duration of joint syndrome (6,3±7,6 months) and fever at presentation. A case of B19 parvovirus infection in a boy of 3 years age accompanied by symptoms of Still's disease is described.