Human herpesvirus 6 DNA in peripheral blood cells and saliva from immunocompetent individuals.
Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) genome equivalents were quantitated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and saliva from 20 healthy individuals by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nineteen of 20 subjects (95%) harbored HHV-6 DNA: 18 (90%) had HHV-6 in their PBMCs and 18 had HHV-6 in their saliva. Quantitative PCR revealed HHV-6 DNA levels ranging from negative to 4,000 HHV-6 genome equivalents per 10(6) PBMCs and from negative to 200,000 HHV-6 genome equivalents per ml of saliva. Longitudinal saliva samples from 15 HHV-6-seropositive subjects revealed salivary HHV-6 DNA persistence in 13 subjects. HHV-6 antibodies were detected in 17 of 19 subjects, with titers ranging from 1:400 to 1:51,200 (geometric mean titer, 1:2,500). Antibody titers did not correlate with HHV-6 DNA levels in PBMCs or saliva (P = 0.27 and P = 0.44, respectively). One subject with persistent HHV-6 DNA lacked detectable HHV-6 antibodies. The high prevalence of HHV-6 DNA in PBMCs and saliva supports the concept that HHV-6 exists at these sites in normal individuals.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle 98105.
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D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology
D004279:DNA, Viral