Detection of varicella-zoster virus nucleic acid in neurons of normal human thoracic ganglia.
Tissue sections from four normal human thoracic ganglia were hybridized in situ with a varicella-zoster virus-RNA probe. Varicella-zoster virus was detected in two of four ganglia, localized exclusively in neurons. The detection of latent varicella-zoster virus genetic material in thoracic ganglia provides further evidence of varicella-zoster virus latency at multiple levels of the human neuraxis and supports the notion that the neuron is the primary site of herpesvirus latency.
Gilden
D H
DH
Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262.
Rozenman
Y
Y
Murray
R
R
Devlin
M
M
Vafai
A
A
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005724:Ganglia / Q000032:analysis*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000032:analysis*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D013909:Thorax / Q000294:innervation*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral