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A Prospective Case Control Study of the Association of Gianotti–Crosti Syndrome with Human Herpesvirus 6 and Human Herpesvirus 7 Infections
Author(s) -
Chuh Antonio An Tung,
Chan Henry Hin Lee,
Chiu Susan Shui Seng,
Ng Hoi Yee,
Peiris Joseph Sriyal Malik
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1470.2002.00217.x
Subject(s) - medicine , serology , human herpesvirus 6 , virology , polymerase chain reaction , immunology , virus , viral load , hepatitis b virus , antibody , viral disease , herpesviridae , biology , gene , biochemistry
Abstract: Gianotti–Crosti syndrome (GCS) is known to be associated with hepatitis B and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infections. Apart from a single case report based on serology alone, there are no published data on an association between GCS and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV‐7) primary infections or reactivations. Our aim was to investigate the association between GCS and HHV‐6 and HHV‐7 infections. Ten patients diagnosed with GCS at a primary care practice over an 18‐month period were recruited. Controls were age‐ and sex‐matched patients with unrelated symptoms requiring venepuncture for other indications. Blood specimens were collected from patients and controls at presentation, and from patients 4 weeks later. Virologic evidence of HHV‐6 and HHV‐7 infection was sought in peripheral blood leukocytes and plasma using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for viral DNA, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) for HHV‐6 U91 mRNA transcripts, and serology. Serology for EBV and hepatitis B virus was done. In contrast to the 10 controls, 2 patients (both infants) with clinically diagnosed GCS had evidence of active HHV‐6 infection. This was demonstrated by detection of viral DNA in the absence of antibody in the acute plasma specimens and HHV‐6 DNA viral loads of more than 5.3 log 10 genome copies/5 μ l in the whole blood specimens, a profile previously shown to be diagnostic of recent primary HHV‐6 infection. None of the patients had evidence of recent EBV or hepatitis B infection. We conclude that primary HHV‐6 infection may be associated with GCS in some infants.