BACKGROUND: Anemia is present even in long-term observation after kidney transplantation. Observational study results indicate the presence of chronic post-transplant anemia in one in three recipients. An extreme form of erythroid line dysfunction is pure red blood cell aplasia (PRCA).

CASE REPORT: PRCA may appear during immunosuppressive treatment irrespective of the kind of protocol and the transplanted organ. It may be caused by immunosuppressive treatment per se or its side effect,opportunistic pathogen activation. Parvovirus B19 (PV B19) infection is quite likely the cause of refractory normocytic anemia in immunocompromised patients. 

CONCLUSIONS: Based on two PRCA cases in kidney transplant recipients the current views on the viral pathogenesis of this phenomenon and proposed treatment strategies have been discussed.

Keywords: Kidney Transplantation, Parvovirus B19, Human, Red-Cell Aplasia, Pure, Erythema Infectiosum, Immunocompromised Host, Postoperative Complications, Renal Insufficiency, Chronic, transplant recipients