Korean J Gastroenterol.
2002 May;39(5):356-361.
Erythrovirus B19 Infection in Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Universty College of Medicine, Korea. kwsbyun@unitel.co.kr
- 2Department of Micrology, Korea Universty College of Medicine, Korea.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym Universty College of Medicine, Korea.
Abstract
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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Erythrovirus B19 is associated with erythema infectiosum in children and acute arthropathy in adults. Moreover, it causes transient aplastic crisis in hemolytic anemia, chronic anemia in immunocompromised patients, and nonimmune fetal hydrops in pregnant women. Recently, acute hepatitis or fulminant hepatitis in children and adults has been reported infrequently in association with erythrovirus B19 infection. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the relationship between erythrovirus B19 and acute hepatitis of unknown etiology.
METHODS
Patient group included 70 patients with acute NANBNC hepatitis of unknown etiology, who were admitted to Korea University Guro Hospital from March 1995 to May 1999 (mean age, 48 years; M:F=1:1.7). Control group included 30 patients with chronic liver disease of unknown etiology admitted during the same period. (mean age, 49 years/ M:F=1.1:1). Nested PCR for erythrovirus B19 DNA was performed for sera of the patient and control groups.
RESULTS
Among the patient group, only one case was positive for erythrovirus B19 DNA PCR. The nineteen-year-old young man died of fulminant hepatitis of unknown etiology. Among the control group, none was positive for erythrovirus B19 DNA.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that erythrovirus B19 may be a cause of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in Korea. In the future, a large-scale investigation will be needed to clarify the role of erythrovirus B19 in young patients with acute or fulminant hepatitis of unknown etiology.
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