title: The effect of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) on cultured human neural cells: oligodendrocytes and microglia.
abstract: Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a betaherpesvirus that has been frequently associated with pediatric encephalitis. In 1995 Challoner et al reported that HHV-6 variant B (HHV-6B) was linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) due to the presence of viral DNA and antigen in the oligodendrocytes surrounding MS plaques. These findings led us to examine HHV-6B's in vitro tropism for primary neural cells. HIV-6B mediated cell-to-cell fusion in cultured adult oligodendroglia. Infection of oligodendrocytes was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (EM), which showed the presence of intracellular HHV-6 particles, and by PCR for HHV-6 DNA. However, the release of infectious virus was low or undetectable in multiple experiments. Microglia were also susceptible to infection by HHV-6B, as demonstrated by an antigen capture assay. We did not detect infection of a differentiated neuronal cell line (NT2D). Our findings suggest that HHV-6B infection of oligodendrocytes and/or microglia could potentially play a role in neuropathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia 19104-6146, USA.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Albright
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lavi
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González-Scarano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016923:Cell Death; D002459:Cell Fusion; D002460:Cell Line; D048429:Cell Size; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000821:virology; D009474:Neurons / Q000821:virology; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000166:cytology; D014779:Virus Replication