Human parvovirus B19 DNA is not detected in Guthrie cards from children who have developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: There has been much speculation about the cause of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It has been suggested, on the basis of findings in epidemiological studies, that ALL may be initiated by an in utero infection of the fetus. The human parvovirus B19 (B19) is etiologically related to human diseases, including erythema infectiosum and aplastic crisis, but it has not yet been considered to be involved in the development of ALL. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate, whether prenatal B19 infection could still be indirectly correlated with the development of childhood ALL.

PROCEDURES: Fifty-four Guthrie cards, collected at 3-5 days of age, from Swedish children who subsequently developed ALL, as well as from 50 healthy controls, were investigated by nested PCR for the presence of B19 DNA.

RESULTS: B19 DNA was not detected in any of the Guthrie cards from ALL patients or from healthy controls, although all tested samples had amplifiable cellular DNA as confirmed by an HLA DQ specific PCR.

CONCLUSION: B19 DNA was not found in any of the Guthrie cards from children who later developed ALL or in the healthy controls. These findings suggest that it is less likely that childhood ALL is associated with an in utero in fection with B19.