Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between somatic mutations (NPM1, FLT3, JAK2, RARA) and parvovirus B19 infection across major subtypes of myeloid malignancies, and to evaluate its potential clinical significance. METHODS: This retrospective, qualitative, exploratory study investigated the relationship between parvovirus B19 infection and key somatic mutations (NPM1, FLT3, JAK2, RARA) across subtypes of myeloid malignancies, using real-time PCR analysis of laboratory datasets obtained from the Teaching Laboratories at Medical City in Baghdad. The study included 100 patients diagnosed with AML (n ≈ 40), MPN (n ≈ 40), and APL (n ≈ 20). B19 DNA was detected by real-time PCR, while somatic mutations were recorded as binary outcomes (NPM1, FLT3-ITD, FLT3-TKD, JAK2 V617F, RARA). Associations were tested using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, and Pearson correlation matrices were generated to examine relationships among variables. RESULTS: The study confirmed established genetic patterns: NPM1 and FLT3 mutations were found in ~30% of AML cases, JAK2 V617F in 90% of MPN cases, and RARA fusion in >95% of APL cases. Parvovirus B19 was detected in a minority of patients (≈15% AML, 10% MPN, 5% APL), with no statistically significant differences among groups (p > 0.1). No significant associations were observed between B19 infection and any specific mutation or disease subtype. Correlation analysis confirmed strong associations between NPM1/FLT3 and AML, JAK2 and MPN, and RARA and APL, while B19 infection showed weak or negligible correlations across all parameters. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed well-known gene-disease associations in myeloid malignancies but found no significant link between parvovirus B19 infection and specific somatic mutations or disease subtypes. These findings suggest that B19 infection may be incidental, underscoring the need for larger-scale studies to clarify its clinical relevance in patients with myeloid malignancies.