title: Immunohistological detection of human herpes virus 6 in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung tissues.
abstract: Human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) infection is widespread in healthy individuals. The only definite disease association is with exanthem subitum in infants though the virus has been linked with a variety of other diseases including interstitial pneumonitis in bone marrow allograft recipients. In order to investigate the role of HHV-6 in the latter disease we have developed an optimised staining method for the demonstration of specific antigen in routinely processed post-mortem tissues. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung tissue from 8 immunocompromised patients who died from interstitial pneumonitis was subjected to immunoperoxidase staining with monoclonal antibodies against HHV-6, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and adenovirus, using a modified avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method. Staining for HHV-6 was obtained in 6 of the 8 patients studied and was present in pneumocytes and macrophages. CMV and adenovirus antigens were identified in 4 and 6 patients, respectively. Whilst the lung tissue of 6 patients contained more than one virus, there was no evidence of cross-reactivity between the monoclonal antibodies. We demonstrated that accurate localisation of HHV-6 using monoclonal antibodies is possible in post-mortem lung tissue and conclude that either HHV-6 alone or in combination with other viruses may play a role in the development of interstitial pneumonitis following bone marrow transplantation or chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Sciences, Medical School, University of Manchester, U.K.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pitalia
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Liu-Yin
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Freemont
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fitzmaurice
mesh_terms: D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000382:microbiology*; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde