Parvovirus B19 Infection, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Behçet’s Disease: Coincidence or Triggering Agent?
Imene Kaddachi

Abstract
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. What causes the immune system to no longer tell the difference between healthy body tissues and antigens is unknown. One theory is that some microorganisms (such as bacteria or viruses) or drugs may trigger some of these changes, especially in genetically predisposed individuals. Studies have suggested that parvovirus B19 infections have been frequently implicated as a cause or a trigger of various forms of autoimmune diseases. In this study, we propose to seek the role of B19 in two clinical situations of autoimmune origin: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Behçet’s disease (BD).

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