Parvovirus Bl9-Specific DNA in Bone Marrow from B19 Arthropathy Patients: Evidence for B19 Virus Persistence

To determine if BI9 infection persists in patients with chronic BI9 arthropathy, acute BI9 infection in adults was documented by IgM serology. Bone marrow aspirates were obtained 24-42 months after acute infection in 4 patients who developed chronic joint symptoms. DNA from bone marrow aspirates was amplified by polymerase chain reaction by using BI9-specific DNA sequences in the viralcapsid gene and probing with BI9-specific oligonucleotidesin South-ern analysis. BI9-specific DNA sequences were detected in all 4 chronic arthropathy patients compared with 0 of? anti-BI9 IgM-, IgG- and 0 of6 anti-BI9 IgM-, IgG+normal bone marrow donors. Three patients with serologically proven acute B19 infection and acute but nonchronic joint symptoms had BI9 DNA detected in bone marrow aspirates 2-18 months after infection. These findings suggest that B19 arthropathy is associated with persistence of either B19 virus or select BI9 DNA sequences. Human parvovirus B19 causes asymptomatic infections, the childhood exanthem erythema infectiosum (fifth disease) and a similar syndrome in adults, transient aplastic crisis in individuals with hemolytic anemias, nonimmune hydrops fe