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Detection of latent varicella‐zoster virus infection in human vestibular and spiral ganglia
Author(s) -
Furuta Yasushi,
Takasu Tsuyoshi,
Suzuki Seigo,
Fukuda Satoshi,
Inuyama Yukio,
Nagashima Kazuo
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199703)51:3<214::aid-jmv12>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - scarpa's ganglion , vestibular system , varicella zoster virus , spiral ganglion , virology , trigeminal ganglion , ganglion , virus , sensory system , vestibular nerve , biology , thoracic ganglia , medicine , neuroscience , inner ear
Varicella‐zoster virus (VZV) becomes latent in the sensory ganglia after primary infection and VZV DNA has been found in human trigeminal, thoracic, and geniculate ganglia. In this study, human vestibular and spiral ganglia, which do not receive innervation from the skin, were examined for VZV DNA using the polymerase chain reaction. VZV DNA was detected in 2 of 10 (20%) vestibular ganglia and in 2 of 10 (20%) spiral ganglia from five adults. VZV DNA was undetectable in either type of ganglion from a newborn and from two of the five adults. These two adults were VZV seronegative. The results indicate that VZV becomes latent in several types of sensory ganglion after primary infection and suggest the possibility that reactivation of the virus from the vestibular and spiral ganglia may cause disorders in the labyrinth. J. Med. Virol. 51:214–216, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.