PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Gonzalez, Benito AU - Larrañaga, Carmen AU - León, Oscar AU - Díaz, Patricia AU - Miranda, Marta AU - Barría, Marcelo AU - Gaggero, Aldo TI - Parvovirus B19 may have a role in the pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. DP - 2007 Jun 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 1336--1340 VI - 34 IP - 6 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/34/6/1336.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/34/6/1336.full SO - J Rheumatol2007 Jun 01; 34 AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of human parvovirus B19 infection in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) by detection of specific IgM, IgG, and viral DNA. METHODS: Serum samples of 50 patients with diagnosis of JIA and 39 healthy controls were analyzed by ELISA to detect IgG and IgM anti-B19-specific antibodies. The parvovirus B19 genome was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The average age of the patients was 9.6 years (2-14 yrs); 30 were female (60%) and 20 male (40%). The definitive diagnoses of these patients corresponded to 19 systemic forms (38%), 11 to the oligoarticular variety (22%) and 20 to the polyarticular (40%). The average age of the control group was 7.8 years (2-16 yrs); the distribution by sex was 25 females (64%) and 14 males (36%). RESULTS: IgM against parvovirus B19 was detected in 20% of the cases (10 patients) and B19 DNA genome by PCR in 48% (24 patients); in 10% of the cases (5 patients), both markers were detected. IgG was found in 32% (16 patients). In the control group neither IgM nor the viral genome was detected. However, 43.5% of the controls (17/39) had IgG against parvovirus B19, indicating past infection by the virus. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms recent observations regarding a high prevalence of viral DNA in JIA patients and a possible role of this viral infection in JIA pathogenesis.