Korean J Lab Med.  2010 Dec;30(6):591-594. 10.3343/kjlm.2010.30.6.591.

Parvovirus B19-induced Pure Red Cell Aplasia in a Liver Transplant Recipient

• Lee EY
• Cho Y
• Lee SG
• Song J

• KMID: 1781664
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/kjlm.2010.30.6.591

Abstract

Parvovirus B19 infection is known to cause chronic anemia in immunocompromised hosts, including organ transplant recipients. We report the first case of liver transplant recipient with parvovirus B19-induced pure red cell aplasia in Korea. A 57-yr-old female patient with hepatocellular carcinoma due to hepatitis C virus received a liver transplantation. Two months later, anemia developed and she received periodic red blood cell transfusions. However, chronic anemia persisted and bone marrow examination was performed 8 months after transplantation. Bone marrow aspiration smears showed markedly reduced erythroid precursors with atypical giant pronormoblasts and nuclear remnants with viral inclusions, and characteristic lantern cells were observed in biopsy sections. In addition, parvovirus B19 DNA PCR was positive. She was diagnosed as parvovirus B19-induced pure red cell aplasia and her anemia was improved following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.

Keyword

Pure red cell aplasia; Parvovirus B19; Human; Liver transplantation

MeSH Terms

Blood Transfusion
Bone Marrow/pathology
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/etiology/therapy
DNA, Viral/analysis
Female
Hepatitis C/complications/diagnosis
Humans
Immunocompromised Host
Immunoglobulins/therapeutic use
Liver Neoplasms/etiology/therapy
Liver Transplantation
Middle Aged
Parvoviridae Infections/complications/*diagnosis
*Parvovirus B19, Human/genetics
Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure/*diagnosis/therapy/virology