Clinical presentation of parvovirus B19 infection in HIV-infected patients with and without AIDS

Human parvovirus B19 replicates in erythrocyte precursors. Usually, there are no apparent hematological manifestations. However, in individuals with high erythrocyte turnover, as in patients with sickle-cell disease and in the fetus, the infection may lead to severe transient aplasia and hydrops fet...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sérgio Setúbal, Maria Cristina Jorge-Pereira, Anadayr Leite Martins de Sant'Anna, Solange Artimos de Oliveira, Anna Ricordi Bazin, Jussara Pereira do Nascimento
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2003
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/d044e6563f3f4834af8f0626057d4156
Description
Summary:Human parvovirus B19 replicates in erythrocyte precursors. Usually, there are no apparent hematological manifestations. However, in individuals with high erythrocyte turnover, as in patients with sickle-cell disease and in the fetus, the infection may lead to severe transient aplasia and hydrops fetalis, respectively. In AIDS patients, persistent infection may result in chronic anemia. By contrast, in HIV-positive patients without AIDS the infection evolves as a mild exanthematous disease. Two clinical descriptions exemplify these forms of presentation. In the first, an AIDS patient presented with bone marrow failure that responded to immunoglobulin. In the second, an HIV-positive patient without AIDS had a morbilliform rash, and needed no treatment. Knowing that an AIDS patient has chronic B19 anemia lessens concern about drug anemia; protects the patient from invasive diagnostic maneuvers; and prevents the patient from disseminating the infection. In AIDS patients with pure red cell aplasia, a search for parvovirus B19 DNA in the serum or in the bone marrow is warranted.