title: Detection of human herpesvirus 6 and varicella-zoster virus in tear fluid of patients with Bell's palsy by PCR.
abstract: Human herpesvirus 6 DNA was detected by PCR in the tear fluid of 7 (35%) of 20 patients with Bell's palsy and of 1 (5%) of 20 healthy controls. Varicella-zoster virus was detected by PCR in the tear fluid of 2 of 20 Bell's palsy patients but in none of the tear fluids from 20 healthy controls. These findings suggest an association between human herpesviruses and Bell's palsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. anne.pitkaranta@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitkäranta
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Piiparinen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mannonen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vesaluoma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaheri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000821:virology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D013666:Tears / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral