Introduction: We determined retrospective analysis of the diagnostic value of virus serology in patients with non-ischemic systolic heart failure and parvovirus B19 infection.
Material and methods: Virus serology and endomyocardial biopsy were performed in 31 patients with non-ischemic systolic heart failure hospitalized from 2001 to 2006 in our clinic.
Results: The serum specimens from 31 patients were tested for IgM and IgG antibody against parvovirus B19. IgM antibodies were identified in 3 patients and IgG antibodies were identified in 23 patients. All of the patients underwent endomyocardial biopsy which revealed chronic active myocarditis in 10 patients (32.4%), chronic persistent myocarditis in 14 patients (45.1%) and no myocarditis in 7 patients (22.5%).
Conclusions: Virus serology has no relevance for the diagnosis of non-ischemic systolic heart failure caused by parvovirus B19 infection. The result of serological tests are positive more frequently than the biopsy specimens results.