Tissue distribution and variant characterization of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6: increased prevalence of HHV-6A in patients with multiple sclerosis

J Infect Dis. 2000 Nov;182(5):1321-5. doi: 10.1086/315893. Epub 2000 Oct 9.

Abstract

Human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 has been associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the basis of serologic, molecular, and histopathologic studies. This study sought to determine the distribution of HHV-6 in different MS body fluids, including serum, saliva, urine, and peripheral blood lymphocytes. The study results extend the observation of an increased frequency of HHV-6 DNA in serum of patients with MS to the unique detection of viral sequences in urine of a subset of patients with MS. Moreover, the HHV-6 identified in these cell-free compartments was predominantly the HHV-6A variant, which has been reported to be neurotropic. These results support the hypothesis that HHV-6 may contribute to the MS disease process.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • Female
  • Herpesvirus 6, Human / genetics
  • Herpesvirus 6, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Multiple Sclerosis / virology*

Substances

  • DNA, Viral