Parvovirus B19 may cause aplastic crisis in patients with which conditions?

Parvovirus B19 may cause aplastic crisis in patients with which conditions?

• A. Sickle cell disease or G6PD deficiency
• B. Diabetes mellitus
• C. Chronic bronchitis
• D. Renal failure

Answer: (A)

Parvovirus B19 specifically harms the bone marrow’s red cell production by infecting erythroid progenitor cells, causing a temporary shutdown of erythropoiesis. In people with conditions that already push red cell turnover hard, like sickle cell disease, this brief pause can lead to a rapid and dangerous drop in hemoglobin — an aplastic crisis. The body relies on a high rate of red cell production to replace cells destroyed by ongoing hemolysis; when production halts, those patients become severely anemic. Other listed conditions don’t involve such a reliance on constantly ramped-up red cell production, so Parvovirus B19–induced aplastic crisis is not typically seen there.

Parvovirus B19 specifically harms the bone marrow’s red cell production by infecting erythroid progenitor cells, causing a temporary shutdown of erythropoiesis. In people with conditions that already push red cell turnover hard, like sickle cell disease, this brief pause can lead to a rapid and dangerous drop in hemoglobin — an aplastic crisis. The body relies on a high rate of red cell production to replace cells destroyed by ongoing hemolysis; when production halts, those patients become severely anemic. Other listed conditions don’t involve such a reliance on constantly ramped-up red cell production, so Parvovirus B19–induced aplastic crisis is not typically seen there.