Anatomical mapping of human herpesvirus reservoirs of infection.

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*Anatomical mapping of human herpesvirus reservoirs of infection.*

Chen T, Hudnall SD.

Mod Pathol. 2006 May;19(5):726-37.

http://www.nature.com/modpathol/journal/v19/n5/full/3800584a.html

Following primary infection, all eight human herpesviruses persist

lifelong in the human host. However, a mapping of all anatomic sites of

human herpesvirus persistence is lacking. Fresh tissue specimens

representing approximately 40 major anatomic sites from eight autopsies

were screened using a recently developed real-time PCR method for

detection of all eight human herpesviruses. Patients with evidence of

active herpesvirus infection (herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex 2

(HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV),

cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), and

herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8)) at the time of death were excluded to avoid

detection of widely disseminated infection. Despite this precaution,

widespread HSV-1 positivity (with blood positivity) was detected in one

case-an elderly male who died of cardiac arrest. In a middle-aged male

with HIV-AIDS, HSV-1 was found in neural and pharyngeal tissues, skin,

cartilage, bone, and urinary bladder, whereas in two other cases, HSV-1

was restricted to neural tissues. HSV-2 was detected in a single site,

the anus, in the male with HIV-AIDS. VZV was detected only twice, once

in the adrenal gland and once in the small intestine. CMV was detected

in three cases, most commonly in nasal mucosa, trachea, thyroid,

intestine, and liver. EBV was detected in all eight cases, especially in

nasal mucosa, tonsil, spleen, lymph node, tongue, and intestine, but in

only two of six whole-blood specimens. HHV-6, like EBV, was detected in

all eight cases, most commonly in salivary glands, thyroid, stomach,

intestines, liver, and pancreas. HHV-7, like EBV and HHV-6, was detected

in all eight cases, most commonly in salivary glands, tonsil, lymph

nodes, and bone marrow. HHV-8 was detected in only two sites (both lymph

nodes) from two cases. Herpesviruses were detected in three of six

whole-blood specimens, including HSV-1, EBV, HHV-6, and HHV-7. These

results represent the most comprehensive mapping of herpesvirus tissue

distribution in humans reported to date.

PMID: 16528368