PPTA | Immunoglobulin Literature Database
| A case of persistent anemia in a renal transplant recipient: association with parvovirus B19 infecti |
A case of persistent anemia in a renal transplant recipient: association with parvovirus B19 infection. Choi SH, Chang SP, Won JC, Lee JS, Chi HS, Yang WS, Park SK. Department of Internal Medicine, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. We report an unexplained anemia that persisted for 4 months in a renal transplant patient who was receiving immunosuppression therapy that included prednisolone, tacrolimus and azathioprine. A bone marrow biopsy demonstrated pure erythroid hypoplasia and occasional giant pronormoblasts with intranuclear inclusions, characteristic of a parvovirus B19 infection. Both the serum and bone marrow cells were positive by parvovirus B19 DNA PCR. The anemia resolved 6 weeks after the administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Four months later, anemia redeveloped and IVIG was infused again. Hemoglobin levels were, however, still subnormal after 1 month of treatment and tacrolimus was then switched to cyclosporin A, resulting in a clear improvement. A parvovirus B19 infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of renal transplant recipients who present with anemia associated with a low reticulocyte count. Tacrolimus may possibly impair the clearance of a parvovirus B19 infection. Publication Types:
PMID: 11874173 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] |
