Human herpes virus type 7 DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with central nervous system diseases.
Human herpes virus type 7 (HHV-7) has been associated with unspecific febrile syndrome, exanthem subitum (ES), viral rashes and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) like syndrome. Neurological complications such as hemiplegia or seizures have been described in a few children with ES. Whether HHV-7 may also affect the CNS in the absence of ES is unknown. In this study, we investigated CSF samples from children with different neurological diseases for the presence of HHV-7 specific DNA. A HHV-7 specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was established amplifying a 478 bp DNA sequence of the glycoprotein U23 of HHV-7 strain SB. 68 children with CNS diseases with inflammatory CSF findings (n = 24), CNS diseases without inflammatory CSF findings (n = 18) and febrile seizures (n = 26) were examined. A total of 26 children with infectious diseases in the absence of neurological disease and 11 children without signs of a peripheral infection and without neurological disease served as controls. The CSF samples of six children from the study groups were HHV-7 PCR positive, but none from the controls. These children were diagnosed with aseptic meningitis (n = 1), viral encephalitis/meningoencephalitis (n = 2), facial palsy (n = 1), vestibular neuritis (n = 1) and febrile seizure (n = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that human herpes virus type 7 infection is associated with central nervous system disease in children and should be considered in children whether inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid is present or not.
Pohl-Koppe
A
A
Children's Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Germany. Annette.Pohl-Koppe@kk-i.med.uni-muenchen.de
Blay
M
M
Jäger
G
G
Weiss
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004279:DNA, Viral