title: No detection of varicella-zoster virus in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis.
abstract: Data on the presence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) are controversial. We analyzed VZV infection in temporal arteries from Italian patients with temporal artery biopsy (TAB)-positive GCA, TAB-negative GCA, and controls.
  
  
  
  A total of 79 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) TABs performed between 2009 and 2012 at a single institution from 34 TAB-positive GCA patients, 15 TAB-negative GCA patients, and 30 controls were retrieved. Six 5-μm sections of all FFPE TABs were cut. The first section was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using mouse monoclonal anti-VZVgE IgG1 antibody. DNA was extracted from the remaining five sections and analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of VZV DNA. For 10 of the 34 TAB-positive GCA patients, an additional 2-mm piece of frozen TAB was available. DNA was extracted from the entire 2-mm length frozen specimen and analyzed by PCR for the presence of VZV DNA. Thirty additional 5-μm sections were cut from the FFPE TABs of these 10 patients and analyzed by immunohistochemistry for the presence of VZV antigen.
  
  
  
  Immunohistochemical analysis detected VZV antigen in 1/34 (3%) TAB-positive GCA, 0/15 TAB-negative GCA, and 0/30 controls, and in none of the 300 sections cut from the 10 FFPE TABs positive for GCA for which the frozen specimens were available. DNA obtained from all TABs was amplifiable. VZV DNA was neither found in any of the FFPE TABs nor found in frozen TABs.
  
  
  
  Our data do not support in Italian patients a possible role for VZV infection in the etiopathogenesis of GCA.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Viale Risorgimento 80, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muratore
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy, and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Croci
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Ione
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tamagnini
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy, and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zerbini
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellafiore
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy, and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belloni
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Viale Risorgimento 80, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boiardi
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bisagni
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Viale Risorgimento 80, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pipitone
authors.affiliation: Clinical Immunology, Allergy, and Advanced Biotechnologies Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parmeggiani
authors.affiliation: Pathology Unit, Department of Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cavazza
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera ASMN, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Viale Risorgimento 80, 42123 Reggio Emilia, Italy. Electronic address: salvarani.carlo@asmn.re.it.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salvarani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000821:virology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Giant cell arteritis; Infection; Temporal arteritis; Temporal artery biopsy; Varicella-zoster virus