title: Detection of herpesvirus DNA in the large intestine of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease using the nested polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: The prevalence of herpesvirus DNA was examined in inflammatory bowel disease tissue. DNA was extracted from resection and biopsy specimens of the large intestine from patients with ulcerative colitis (n = 21), patients with Crohn's disease (n = 29), and patients with noninflammatory bowel disease (controls) (n = 21). The nested polymerase chain reaction was used to detect viral DNA using primer pairs specific for either cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6), varicella zoster virus (VZV), or Epstein Barr virus (EBV). HSV1 and VZV DNA were not detected in any of tissue samples. There was a high prevalence of CMV (81%), HHV6 (76%), and EBV (76%) DNA in ulcerative colitis tissue compared to Crohn's disease tissues (CMV 66%, HHV6 45%, EBV 55%). Control tissue had a relatively low frequency of CMV (29%) and EBV (19%) DNA but a prevalence of HHV6 DNA similar to that of ulcerative colitis (86%). However, the simultaneous presence of HHV6 and CMV and/or EBV DNA in ulcerative colitis tissue (76%) was much greater than in either Crohn's disease tissues (38%) or control tissue (29%) (P < 0.05). There was a low prevalence of CMV, HHV6, and EBV DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all patient groups. CMV and EBV are capable of reactivating HHV6: the high prevalence of coexistent HHV6 infection with either or both of these two viruses in ulcerative colitis tissue suggests that they may play a synergistic role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wakefield
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sawyerr
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sweenie
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tedder
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Pounder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D003106:Colon / Q000382:microbiology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004279:DNA, Viral