Aplastic anemia due to B19 parvovirus infection in cadaveric renal transplant recipients: an underestimated infectious disease in the immunocompromised host.

Abstract

Parvovirus B19 has been identified as the etiological agent of "fifth disease" in childhood. It is also a rarely reported cause of anemia in transplanted patients. During a period of 18 months we observed four cases (2 male and 2 female; 53 +/- 4.24 years) of severe aplastic anemia due to parvovirus B19 in kidney transplant patients. The overall incidence of the disease was 6.3% of all our transplanted patients. Symptoms of the disease occurred 22.5 +/- 9.75 days post-operatively. Serum creatinine was 1.5 +/- 0.35 mg/dl. Hb was 6.58 +/- 0.6 g/dl. All patients recovered with 15 days of high doses of commercial immunoglobulins. We conclude that B19 parvovirus infection is probably an underestimated disease in transplant patients. It is a first-period infection, probably donor-transmitted. High dose immunoglobulins are an effective but costly therapy.

• Authors: E Bertoni, A Rosati, M Zanazzi, A Azzi, K Zakrzewska, S Guidi, R Fanci, M Salvadori
• Journal: Journal of nephrology (J Nephrol) Vol. 10 Issue 3 Pg. 152-6 ( 1997) ISSN: 1121-8428 [Print] Italy
• PMID: 9238623 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• DNA, Viral

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anemia, Aplastic (etiology)
• Cadaver
• DNA, Viral (blood)
• Erythema Infectiosum (complications)
• Female
• Humans
• Kidney Transplantation (adverse effects)
• Male
• Middle Aged