Abstract
To investigate the follow-up of the 17 patients during the period of 1995–2001 of the outpatient Clinic for Rheumatology at the University Hospital of Zurich with arthritis and the presence of parvovirus B19 DNA demonstrated by PCR in synovial biopsies. Seventeen patients of 163 with arthritis, which were routinely examined by needle arthroscopy during 1995–2001 with a positive parvovirus B19 DNA by PCR of synovial biopsy were reevaluated. Investigations included medical history, clinical examination and blood tests. Joint fluid was taken on patients with joint effusion. The observation period of the 17 patients (F:M = 11:6) was 2–8 years (Ø = 6.5 years). In 8 of 17 patients the arthritis could not be classified neither at entry nor during the follow up of the study. The arthritis could be diagnosed in six patients early in the onset of the disease and included three cases of lyme arthritis of the knee joint, two cases with arthritis following a gastrointestinal infection (one with Salmonella typhimurium—positive faecal test—and the other one with a culture negative agent), one patient probably had an infection-associated arthritis after a gastrointestinal infection with Entamöeba histolytica (Schirmer et al. in Rheumatol Int 18:37–38, 1998; Kasliwal in Am J Proctol Gastroenterol Colon Rectal Surg 32:12, 16, 28, 1981; Haslock and Wright in J R Coll Phys Lond 8:1554–162, 1974; Than-Saw et al. in Trop Geogr Med 44:355–358, 1992) with remission after antibiotic therapy. After a disease course of 9 months one patient could be classified as rheumatoid arthritis in the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated antibodies but lack of rheumatoid factor. One patient with polyarthritis developed psoriasis of the skin 22 months later. From the nine patients with unclassified arthritis 4 (45%) got into complete remission with no symptoms or signs of joint inflammation after a disease course of 9–45 months, whereas 5 (55%) still demonstrate active non erosive arthritis (disease duration between 3 and 10 years). The presence of parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial tissue of patients with joint inflammation does not allow the diagnosis of parvovirus induced arthritis. If the arthritis remains unclassified and without erosions over time a virus associated aetiology may be assumed. However, no definitive diagnosis is possible even in the presence of parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial tissue.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schirmer M, Fischer M, Rossboth DW, Mur E, Dierich MP, Frischhut B (1998) Entamoeba hartmanni: a new causative agent in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis? Rheumatol Int 18:37–38
Kasliwal RM (1981) Chronic colitis and arthritis with special emphasis on amoebic colitis. Am J Proctol Gastroenterol Colon Rectal Surg 32:12, 16, 28
Haslock I, Wright V (1974) Arthritis and intestinal disease. J R Coll Phys Lond 8:154–162
Than-Saw, Mar-Mar-Nyein, Oo MM et al (1992) Isolation of Entamoeba histolytica from arthritic knee joint. Trop Geogr Med 44:355–358
Modrow S (2001) Parvovirus B19: Ein Infektionserreger mit vielen Erkrankungensbildern. Dtsch Arztebl 98:A1620–1624
Stoll T, Bruhlmann P, Brunner U, Treier A, Cassinotti P, Michel BA (1995) Parvovirus-B19-induced arthritis/arthropathy-an important differential diagnosis of chronic polyarthritis. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 125:347–354
Soderlund M, von Essen R, Haapasaari J, Kiistala U, Kiviluoto O, Hedman K (1997) Persistence of parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial membranes of young patients with and without chronic arthropathy. Lancet 349:1063–1065
Speyer I, Breedveld FC, Dijkmans BA (1998) Human parvovirus B19 infection is not followed by inflammatory joint disease during long term follow-up. A retrospective study of 54 patients Clin Exp Rheumatol 16:576–578
Saal JG, Steidle M, Einsele H, Muller CA, Fritz P, Zacher J (1992) Persistence of B19 parvovirus in synovial membranes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatol Int 12:147–151
Kerr LR, Cartron JP, Curran MD, Moore JE, Elliot JR, Mollan RA (1995) A study of the role of parvovirus B19 in rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Rheumatol 34:809–813
Foto F, Saag KG, Scharosch LL, Howard EJ, Naides SJ (1993) Parvovirus B19-specific DNA in bone marrow from B19 arthropathy patients: evidence for B19 virus persistence. J Infect Dis 167:744–748
Cassinotti P, Siegl G, Michel BA, Bruhlmann P (1998) Presence and significance of human parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial membranes and bone marrow from patients with arthritis of unknown origin. J Med Virol 56:199–204
Aberham C, Pendl C, Gross P, Zerlauth G, Gessner M (2001) A quantitative, internally controlled real-time PCR Assay for the detection of parvovirus B19 DNA. J Virol Methods 92:183–191
Smith PF (1996) Third international conference on harmonization of technical requirements for the registration of pharmaceuticals for human use–a toxicologist`s perspective. Toxicol Pathol 24:519–528
Guidelines of the Council of Europe (1999) PA/PH/OMCL (98) 22, DEF
Kasliwal RM (1973) Clinical amoebiasis syndrome and case reports of a few unusual cases of amoebiasis. Am J Proctol 24:326–332
Woolf AD, Campion GV, Chishick A et al (1989) Clinical manifestations of human parvovirus B19 in adults. Arch Intern Med 149:1153–1156
Naides SJ, Field EH (1988) Transient rheumatoid factor positivity in acute human parvovirus B19 infection. Arch Intern Med 148:2587–2589
Anderson LJ (1990) Human parvovirus B19. Pediatr Ann 19:509–10, 512–513
Clewley JP (1989) Polymerase chain reaction assay of parvovirus B19 DNA in clinical specimens. J Clin Microbiol 27:2647–2651
Kerr JR, Cunniffe VS (2000) Antibodies to parvovirus B19 non-structural protein are associated with chronic but not acute arthritis following B19 infection. Rheumatology (Oxford) 39:903–908
Naides SJ (1998) Rheumatic manifestations of parvovirus B19 infection. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 24:375–401
Cohen BJ, Buckley MM, Clewley JP, Jones VE, Puttick AH, Jacoby RK (1986) Human parvovirus infection in early rheumatoid and inflammatory arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 45:832–838
Tyndall A, Jelk W, Hirsch HH (1994) Parvovirus B19 and erosive polyarthritis. Lancet 343:480–481
Nikkari S, Roivainen A, Hannonen P et al (1995) Persistence of parvovirus B19 in synovial fluid and bone marrow. Ann Rheum Dis 54:597–600
Takahashi Y, Murai C, Shibata S et al (1998) Human parvovirus B19 as a causative agent for rheumatoid arthritis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:8227–8232
Naides SJ, Scharosch LL, Foto F, Howard EJ (1990) Rheumatologic manifestations of human parvovirus B19 infection in adults. Initial two-year clinical experience. Arthritis Rheum 33:1297–1309
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schmid, S., Bossart, W., Michel, B.A. et al. Outcome of patients with arthritis and parvovirus B19 DNA in synovial membranes. Rheumatol Int 27, 747–751 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-007-0337-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-007-0337-2