Related Experiment Videos
Management of persistent B19 parvovirus infection in AIDS
B Ramratnam1, A Gollerkeri, F J Schiffman
1Department of Medicine, Miriam Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Abstract:
An HIV+ 26-year-old white man with a CD4 count of 0.06 x 10(9)/l was found to have red blood cell aplasia secondary to B19 parvovirus infection. Regular infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) were begun and resulted in marked reticulocytosis and correction of anaemia. The patient has been followed for over 4 years and has become anaemic and reticulocytopenic whenever IVIG was interrupted. Serial dot blot analysis of the patient's sera for B19 parvovirus DNA showed absence of DNA immediately following IVIG treatments but reappearance within 3-6 weeks. Regular IVIG was effective in controlling but not eradicating B19 parvovirus infection in this HIV+ patient.