Detection of human parvovirus B19 in a patient with hepatitis

Parvovirus B19 has been associated by some investigators with cases of seve re hepatitis. The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of active parvovirus B19 infection among 129 Brazilian patients with non-A-E hepatitis. The patients were assayed for antibodies against parvovirus B19. IgM class, by ELISA. In IgM-positive cases, parvovirus B 19 DNA was assaye d by PCR in serum and liver tissue and parvovirus VPI antigen in liver tiss ue was assayed by immunohistochemistry. Antibodies against parvovirus B19, IgM class, were detected in 3 (2.3%) of 129 patients with non-A-E hepatitis . Previous surgery and blood transfusions were reported by these 3 patients . One patient was a 56-year-old female with severe hepatitis, with anti mit ochondrial antibody seropositivity and submassive necrosis at liver biopsy, who responded to corticosteroid therapy. Strong evidence for active parvov irus B19 infection was found in this patient, with parvovirus B 19 DNA bein g detected by PCR in liver tissue. Furthermore, parvovirus VPI antigen was also detected in liver tissue by immunohistochemistry. The other two IgM-po sitive patients were chronic hepatitis cases, but active infection was not proven, since neither viral DNA nor antigen were detected in their liver ti ssues. This and other reports suggest a possible relation between parvoviru s B19 infection and some cases of hepatitis.