title: Quantitation of latent varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus genomes in human trigeminal ganglia.
abstract: Using real-time fluorescence PCR, we quantitated the numbers of copies of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) genomes in 15 human trigeminal ganglia. Eight (53%) and 1 (7%) of 15 ganglia were PCR positive for HSV-1 or -2 glycoprotein G genes, with means of 2,902 +/- 1,082 (standard error of the mean) or 109 genomes/10(5) cells, respectively. Eleven of 14 (79%) to 13 of 15 (87%) of the ganglia were PCR positive for VZV gene 29, 31, or 62. Pooling of the results for the three VZV genes yielded a mean of 258 +/- 38 genomes/10(5) ganglion cells. These levels of latent viral genome loads have implications for virus distribution in and reactivation from human sensory ganglia.
authors.affiliation: Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pevenstein
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McChesney
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Mont
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Smialek
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Straus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000821:virology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019562:Viral Load; D017735:Virus Latency
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C074221:IE62 protein, Human herpesvirus 3; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C045464:glycoprotein G, herpes simplex virus type 2; C050591:glycoprotein gG-1, herpes simplex virus type 1