title: Latent herpesviruses of humans.
abstract: The herpesviruses that infect humans characteristically establish a latent infection that may be reactivated later. The consequences of reactivation range from asymptomatic shedding to severe disseminated infection. Varicella-zoster and herpes simplex viruses are both highly neurotropic, establishing nonreplicating infections in sensory ganglia. Latent herpes simplex virus is known to reside in neurons, and the virus-cell interactions involved have been defined to an extent. Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus interact with peripheral blood leukocytes. Latent cytomegalovirus infection of human leukocytes has not been proved, although studies in a murine model have implicated B lymphocytes as a repository of latent virus. Epstein-Barr virus is known to persist in a non-replicating state as extrachromosomal DNA in B lymphocytes and to cause "immortalization" of the infected cell; persistence of the viral genome in epithelial cells may also result in malignant transformation, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000382:microbiology; D002455:Cell Division; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000502:physiology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000635:transmission; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000382:microbiology; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000502:physiology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000502:physiology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007244:Infectious Mononucleosis / Q000382:microbiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000502:physiology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral