Parvovirus B19 infection in HIV-infected patients

Here we provide a review of the literature and a description of our own clinical case. The patient was a 32-year-old woman who had been infected with HIV for 6 years without antiretroviral therapy. The test results showed CD4 87 cells/μl, viral load 3750 copies/ml. Normochromic normocytic anemia and reticulocytopenia developed soon. In the myelogram, all erythroblasts were 0.5%. The viral load of parvovirus B19 DNA according to PCR was more than 9 million IU/ml. Pure red cell aplasia associated with parvovirus B19 was diagnosed. We started antiretroviral therapy with efavirenz, lamevudine and tenofovir. In addition to blood transfusions, we administered intravenous donor immunoglobulin with a dose increase from 5000 mg to 20 000 mg per day. After discontinuing of intravenous immunoglobulins, the laboratory test results were stable over the next 5 months: hemoglobin was more than 115 g/L, reticulocytes – more than 3%, in the myelogram all erythroblasts were 21%. However, the elimination of parvovirus B19 wasn’t achieved. The maximum decrease in viral load for parvovirus B19 was down to 720 IU/ml. A typical feature of the case was the lack of pure red cell aplasia of the bone marrow with the existing viral load of parvovirus B19. HIV infection progressed: 44 cells/μl, viral load – not determined. The case ended lethally.