title: Persistence of varicella zoster virus DNA in saliva after herpes zoster.
abstract: Analysis of saliva samples from individuals aged ≥ 60 years who had a history of zoster (group 1), zoster and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN; group 2), or no history of zoster (group 3) revealed varicella zoster virus (VZV) DNA in saliva samples from 11 of 17 individuals in group 1, 10 of 15 individuals in group 2, and 2 of 17 individuals in group 3. The frequency of VZV DNA detection was significantly higher (P = .001) in saliva of subjects with a history of zoster, with or without PHN (21 [67%] of 32 subjects in groups 1 and 2), than in saliva of age-matched subjects with no zoster history (2 [12%] of 17 subjects in group 3). Thus, persistence of VZV DNA in saliva is the outcome of zoster, independent of PHN. Because VZV infection can produce neurological and ocular disease without zoster rash, future studies are needed to establish whether VZV DNA can be detected in the saliva of such patients.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: Randall J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cohrs
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Traktinskiy
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: Satish K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Duane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Pierson
authors.forename: Stephen K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tyring
authors.forename: Kassie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haitz
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Digiorgio
authors.forename: Whitney
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lapolla
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gilden
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000821:virology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D018140:Varicellovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral