Background: Human parvovirus B19 is a small, single-stranded DNA virus encoding two structural capsid proteins and a nonstructural protein. It is the aetiological agent of erythema infectiosum and transient aplastic crisis in patients with haemolytic anaemia, and has been associated with fetal death, arthritis and chronic anaemia. In recent years, the possible involvement of parvovirus B19 in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been reported.
Objectives: To determine whether human parvovirus B19 DNA can be detected in SSc skin tissue specimens.
Methods: Normal subjects (n = 97) and patients with SSc (n = 48), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 16), dermatomyositis (n = 8), morphoea (n = 6) and graft-versus-host disease (n = 8) were studied. Crude DNA was extracted from skin tissue specimens. We attempted to determine whether human parvovirus B19 could be detected in the skin of SSc using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification was performed with specifically designed first and second primer pairs for parvovirus B19 DNA.
Results: After the first PCR, the occurrence rate of parvovirus B19 DNA in SSc skin tissues (36 of 48, 75%) was significantly elevated in comparison with that in normal controls (50 of 97, 52%) (P < 0.01). After the second PCR, the occurrence rate of parvovirus B19 DNA in SSc skin tissues (36 of 48, 75%) was significantly elevated compared with that in normal controls (53 of 97, 55%) (P < 0.02). The occurrence rates in the other diseases showed no significant difference from that in normal controls.
Conclusions: The increased prevalence of human parvovirus B19 DNA in SSc skin showed the possibility that the virus may be involved in the formation of skin tissue abnormalities in the disease.