title: Analysis of herpes simplex virus type 1 restriction fragment length polymorphism variants associated with herpes gladiatorum and Kaposi's varicelliform eruption in sumo wrestlers.
abstract: The geographical distribution of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) variants BgK(L) and BgO(L) and the high relative frequency (RF) of BgK(L) in orolabial lesions has led to a dispersion-replacement hypothesis for these variants. The pathogenic properties of HSV-1 variants in mice and professional sumo wrestlers were examined here. The wrestlers herpes gladiatorum (HG) was caused by primary and non-primary HSV-1 infections and recurred in many wrestlers. HSV-1 neutralizing antibody titres in sera from wrestlers who did not develop HG were relatively high. HG was caused by distinct HSV-1 variants and strains from wrestlers living in the same sumo stable. The BgK(L) RF was significantly higher in HG cases, particularly in those with Kaposi's varicelliform eruption. These data indicated that reactivation and transmission of latent HSV-1 infections, especially BgK(L), occurred frequently among wrestlers and was caused by severe skin damage. These results support the BgK(L) dispersion hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: BML General Institute, Matoba 1361-1, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-1101, Japan.|Herpesvirus Laboratory, Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Doai Kinen Hospital (Fraternity Memorial Hospital, Japan), Yokoami 2-1-11 Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-8587, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.affiliation: Yamanashi Institute of Health, Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.affiliation: Herpesvirus Laboratory, Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eda
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030-3498, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030-3498, USA.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Stroop
authors.affiliation: Herpesvirus Laboratory, Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007617:Kaposi Varicelliform Eruption / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D014775:Virus Activation; D017735:Virus Latency; D014952:Wrestling