Human herpesvirus 7: antigenic properties and prevalence in children and adults.
The recent isolation of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) from activated CD4+ T lymphocytes of a healthy individual raises questions regarding the prevalence of this virus in humans and its immunological relationship to previously characterized human herpesviruses. We report that HHV-7 is a ubiquitous virus which is immunologically distinct from the highly prevalent T-lymphotropic HHV-6. Thus, (i) only two of six monoclonal antibodies to HHV-6 cross-reacted with HHV-7-infected cells, (ii) Western immunoblot analyses of viral proteins revealed different patterns for HHV-6- and HHV-7-infected cells, (iii) tests of sequential serum samples from children revealed seroconversion to HHV-6 without concomitant seroconversion to HHV-7, and (iv) in some instances HHV-7 infection occurred in the presence of high titers of HHV-6 antibodies, suggesting the lack of apparent protection of children seropositive for HHV-6 against subsequent infection with HHV-7. On the basis of the analyses of sera from children and adults it can be concluded that HHV-7 is a prevalent human herpesvirus which, like other human herpesviruses, infects during childhood. The age of infection appears to be somewhat later than the very early age documented for HHV-6.
Wyatt
L S
LS
Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Rodriguez
W J
WJ
Balachandran
N
N
Frenkel
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015995:Prevalence; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D014764:Viral Proteins