Human parvovirus B19: a new emerging pathogen of inflammatory cardiomyopathy.

The human parvovirus B19 (PVB19), an erythrovirus causing diverse clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic or mild to more severe outcomes such as hydrops fetalis, is the only known human pathogenic parvovirus so far. Although enteroviruses have long been considered the most common cause of inflammatory cardiomyopathy, PVB19 is emerging as a important candidate. Recent studies have indicated an association of PVB19 with paediatric and adult inflammatory cardiac disease. However, whether or not PVB19 has an impact on inflammatory cardiomyopathy in adult patients is still unclear. The first hints for a possible aetiopathogenetic role of the PVB19-infection and the development of cardiac dysfunction were demonstrated by molecular biology utilizing in situ hybridization (ISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). According to available evidence, PVB19-associated inflammatory cardiomyopathy is characterized by infection of endothelial cells of small intracardiac arterioles and venules, which may be associated with endothelial dysfunction, impairment of myocardial microcirculation, and penetration of inflammatory cells into the myocardium.