Pathology of the human spinal ganglia in varicella-zoster virus infection.
Spinal ganglia from a patient who died on the 6th day of varicella infection were examined by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and were compared with spinal ganglia from a patient dying on the 17th day of herpes zoster infection. In herpes zoster, typical intranuclear inclusion bodies were found in neurons, satellite cells and fibroblast-like cells of the ganglia, which contained numerous naked virus particles. In varicella, few changes were found by light microscopy but viral antigen was detected in a few neurons and satellite cells by immunofluorescence. Electron microscopy revealed scattered virus particles near the nuclear membrane of a neuron, satellite cells and capsular cells and enveloped particles in the cytoplasm of satellite cells. The particles in the nuclei were mostly naked virions with specific crescent-like inner-nuclear structure; those in the cytoplasm had complete and incomplete envelopes and showed pleomorphism. A "virus-like" intranuclear filament found in mononuclear cells in herpes zoster and a "plexiform vermicellar array" found in the nuclei of neurons in varicella are at present considered to be non-specific nuclear changes caused probably by viral infections.
D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006470:Hemorrhage; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000473:pathology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human; D006801:Humans; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology
D000956:Antigens, Viral