Detection of human herpesviruses 6 and 7 in heart transplant recipients by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction method.
In order to evaluate the possible reactivation of human herpesviruses 6 (HHV-6) and 7 (HHV-7) after heart transplantation, buffy-coat and plasma specimens from 21 transplant patients and 56 healthy blood donors were examined for HHV-6 and HHV-7 DNA by polymerase chain reaction. Human herpesvirus 6 and HHV-7 infection or reactivation has been suggested to play a role in cytomegalovirus disease progression in renal transplant recipients. In the present study, however, no significant difference in the prevalence of HHV-6 and HHV-7 was found between the immunosuppressed and the healthy population; moreover, no viral reactivation was found in the heart transplant recipients.
Moschettini
D
D
Dipartimento di Biologia Molecolare, Università di Siena, Italy.
De Milito
A
A
Catucci
M
M
Marconi
A
A
Rinina
C
C
Bianchi-Bandinelli
M L
ML
Valensin
P E
PE
D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014775:Virus Activation