title: Human herpesvirus 6A DNA Is detected frequently in plasma but rarely in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients after bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was devised to determine the load of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6A and -6B DNA in paired samples of plasma and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of 25 bone marrow transplant patients. The assay detects HHV-6 DNA variants A and B in a linear range of 10(7)-10(1) genome equivalents per assay. Viral DNA was measured in 336 paired DNA PBL samples and in corresponding plasma samples. HHV-6A and/or -6B DNA was detected in PBL of 23 of 25 patients and in plasma of 24 of 25 patients. HHV-6B was the predominant variant found in PBL and also was detected in the corresponding plasma. Surprisingly, only 1 of 25 patients had detectable HHV-6A DNA in PBL, although 23 of 25 patients were positive for HHV-6A DNA in plasma. HHV-6 DNA load in plasma was significantly higher for HHV-6A than for HHV-6B (P=.0066).
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin m.S. Hämatologie und Onkologie, Charité-Campus Virchow Klinikum, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nitsche
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radonic
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Landt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ellerbrok
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pauli
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Siegert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral