Parvovirus B19 in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The causal role of Parvovirus B19 (B19V) in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is still a matter of debate. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the frequency of B19V infection and the association between patients’ characteristics and B19V infection in children with JIA.

Synovial fluid samples were obtained from 27 children (13 boys, 14 girls, aged 3-16 years) with JIA and were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction to detect B19V DNA. Age, sex, number of involved joints, time elapsed between beginning of symptoms and arthrocentesis, serum Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) were compared between JIA patients with and without B19V.

Six patients (22.2%) were B19V+. There was no significant association between presence of B19V DNA in synovial fluid and number of joints involved, duration of disease, treatment with Disease-Modifying Anti rheumatic Drugs (DMARD) or glucocorticoid therapy and mean ESR and CRP levels. However, there was a slightly significant relationship between sex and age and detection of B19V DNA in the synovial fluid of JIA patients.

Our study demonstrated a 22% prevalence of B19V infection in JIA patients, and also that there was a significant relationship between sex and age and detection of B19V DNA in the synovial fluid of JIA patients.