Human herpesvirus-6 and -7 DNA in cerebrospinal fluid of facial palsy patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Finding human herpesvirus (HHV)-7 and dual HHV-6A and -6B DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of two facial palsy (FP) patients is intriguing but does not allow etiologic conclusions as such. HHV-6 or -7 DNA was revealed in 10% of the CSF samples tested from 70 immunocompetent adolescents and adults; a highly unusual result. How these findings are associated with the diseases they accompany remains to be defined.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and -2, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), HHV-6A, -6B, and -7, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA could be found in CSF of FP patients or controls.


METHODS
In all, 33 peripheral FP patients (26 idiopathic, 5 with herpesvirus infection, 1 puerperal, 1 Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome) (34 CSF samples) and 36 controls (16 nonidiopathic FP, 7 hearing loss, 6 vertigo, 5 headache, 2 other) previously tested for HSV-1, VZV, and HHV-6 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were tested with highly sensitive multiplex-PCR and an oligonucleotide microarray method.


RESULTS
One FP patient had HHV-7 DNA and another had HHV-6A and -6B DNA simultaneously. In the control group, one HHV-7, one HHV-6A, and three HHV-6B DNA-positive specimens were found.
Kanerva
Mervi
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. mervi.kanerva@fimnet.fi
Jääskeläinen
Anne J
AJ
Suvela
Minna
M
Piiparinen
Heli
H
Vaheri
Antti
A
Pitkäranta
Anne
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral