HUMAN PARVOVIRUS B19-ASSOCIATED THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

We report two patients who presented with thrombocytopenic purpura (TP ) associated with primary human parvovirus B19 (B19) infection. One pa tient also had transient liver dysfunction. In both cases, B19-DNA was detected in serum and bone marrow by polymerase chain reaction. Six m onths after the illness in patient 1 and 8 months after the illness in patient 2, B19-DNA disappeared from the serum. Serum immunoglobulin ( Ig)G antibody to B19 remained positive in both cases, but B19 IgM anti body became negative 3 months after the onset in case 1 and 4 months a fter the onset in case 2. The mechanism of TP by B19 infection is unkn own.