title: Lack of detectable equine herpesviruses 1 and 2 in paraffin-embedded specimens of equine sarcoidosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Equine sarcoidosis is a rare, multisystemic, noncaseating, granulomatous and lymphoplasmacytic disease of unknown etiology. A recent report described a horse with granulomatous skin disease displaying histologic, electron microscopic, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) findings consistent with equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of EHV-2 and equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in 8 horses with sarcoidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight horses with sarcoidosis, reported previously.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study. PCR assays of the tissues were performed to detect DNA associated with EHV-1 and EHV-2. For both herpesviruses the target was their respective glycoprotein B gene. Positive controls consisted of DNA from viral cultures of culturettes from naturally occurring respiratory infections of EHV-1 and EHV-2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PCR analyses for both equine herpesviruses' DNA were negative in all 8 horses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The failure to detect DNA from EHV-1 and EHV-2 in paraffin-embedded skin of these 8 horses does not discount EHV-1 or EHV-2 as causing some cases of ES, but lends support to the presumably multifactorial etiologic nature of the disease.
authors: Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sdwhite@ucdavis.edu
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: White
authors: J E
authors: JE
authors: Foley
authors: I B
authors: IB
authors: Spiegel
authors: P J
authors: PJ
authors: Ihrke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000662:veterinary