Human parvovirus B19, varicella zoster virus, and human herpesvirus-6 in mesenchymal stem cells of patients with osteoarthritis: analysis with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

SummaryObjectiveTo investigate whether there is a possible viral transmission using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in autologous or allogeneic transplantation in the context of osteoarthritis (OA) patients. The presence of parvovirus B19 (B19), varicella zoster virus (VZV), and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) was studied in MSCs from bone marrow of patients with OA and healthy controls.MethodsMSCs were prepared from bone marrow aspirates obtained from 18 patients undergoing joint replacement as a result of OA and from 10 healthy controls. DNA was extracted from primary MSCs' culture established from these cells and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyse the prevalence and viral load of B19, VZV and HHV-6.ResultsThe prevalence of total viral DNA among patients with OA was 16.7% (3/18), with a mean viral load of 29.7 copies/μg of DNA. One out of 18 was positive for B19 (viral load, 61.2 copies/μg of DNA), two for VZV (mean viral load, 14.4 copies/μg of DNA), and none for HHV-6. The prevalence of total viral DNA in the control group was 20% (2/10), with a mean viral load of 13.4 copies/μg of DNA. Both positive results were of B19 parvoviruses. There were no statistically significant differences among patients and controls.ConclusionsThis first approach to the viral prevalence in MSCs of bone marrow in OA patients and healthy controls seems to show a very low risk of viral transmission or reactivation in a possible MSCs' transplantation.