Human parvovirus b19 infection with gvhd-like erythema in two allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe We report two cases of human parvovirus B19 infection as a rare but anticipated complication shortly after allogeneic peripheral blood stem

cell transplantation (PBSCT), which were self-limiting in their course. The first patient was a 48-year-old female treated for secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) FAB M2 following

chemotherapy for breast cancer 7 years ago. She received a PBSCT in second complete remission, from a matched unrelated donor, after conditioning with 2 Gy total-body irradiation, 120 mg/m2

fludarabine, 60 mg/kg cyclophosphamide and 30 mg/kg antithymocyte globulin. Immunosuppressive therapy was initiated with cyclosporine and mycofenolate. One day before transplantation, the

patient presented with sudden skin erythema, which soon resolved without any treatment. On day 10 after PBSCT, she developed an erythematous itchy eruption of the skin on both arms and the

neck line, initially reminiscent of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), but subsequently very inconsistent in its appearance in that it migrated from the neck line to the abdomen and

back and finally to both legs. This lasted for a period of 14 days. Our differential diagnosis included early acute cutaneous GvHD, viral erythema and drug-induced erythema. The latter

seemed unlikely as no new drug had been administered. To clarify the diagnosis a skin biopsy was taken. Surprisingly, this turned out to be positive for parvovirus B19 upon polymerase chain

reaction (PCR), as was a bone marrow aspirate (700 copies/ml) taken at the same time. PCR from skin samples were not analysed quantitatively. Histology did not show any signs suggestive of

GvHD but a nonspecific pattern of inflammation with distinct signs of cytotoxicity, as is frequently seen in skin lesions because of viral infections. Blood was positive for parvovirus B19

immunoglobin G (IgG) before transplantation. Findings were negative for parvovirus B19 IgM before, during and after the infection. Parvovirus B19 PCR in peripheral blood was also negative

during and after the infection. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution RELEVANT ARTICLES Open Access articles citing this article. * GRAFT-VERSUS-LYMPHOMA

EFFECT IN A 64-YEAR-OLD CAUCASIAN WOMAN AFTER ALLOGENEIC STEM-CELL TRANSPLANTATION: A CASE REPORT * Gerhard Behre * , Thomas Weber *  … Maximilian Christopeit _Journal of Medical Case

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ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Ang HA, Apperley JF, Ward KN . Persistence of antibody to human

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Rev_ 2005; 4: 264–269. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Internal Medicine IV, Bone Marrow Transplantation

Section, Hematology and Oncology, State Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany A Muetherig, M Christopeit, L P Müller, W Grothe, T Weber,

 S Theurich & G Behre Authors * A Muetherig View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M Christopeit View author publications You can also

search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * L P Müller View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * W Grothe View author publications You can

also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * T Weber View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * S Theurich View author publications You

can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * G Behre View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to

G Behre. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Muetherig, A., Christopeit, M., Müller, L. _et al._ Human parvovirus B19 infection with

GvHD-like erythema in two allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients. _Bone Marrow Transplant_ 39, 315–316 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705589 Download citation * Published: 21

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