The role of HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections in the development of fibromyalgia.

Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) and human herpes virus-7 (HHV-7) are immunomodulating viruses potentially affecting the nervous system. We evaluated the influence of HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections on fibromyalgia (FM) clinical course. Forty-three FM patients and 50 control group participants were enrolled. 39.50% (n = 17) FM patients had light A delta and C nerve fiber damage, 27.91% (n = 12) had severe A delta and C nerve fiber damage. 67.44% (n = 29) FM patients had loss of warm sensation in feet, loss of heat pain sensation, and increased cold pain sensation (34.90%, n = 15 in both findings). HHV-6 and HHV-7 genomic sequences in peripheral blood DNA in 23/43 (51.00%) and 34/43 (75.50%) of samples from FM patients and in 3/50 (6.00%) and 26/50 (52.00%) of samples from the control group individuals were detected. Active HHV-6 (plasma viremia) or HHV-7 infection was revealed only in FM patients (4/23, 17.40% and 4/34, 11.80%, respectively). A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between A delta and C nerve fiber damage severity and HHV-6 infection (p < 0.01, r = 0.410). 23/43 patients from the FM group and control group participants HHV-6 and 34/45 HHV-7 did have infection markers. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between A delta and C nerve fiber damage severity and HHV-6 infection (p < 0.01, r = 0.410). No difference was found between detection frequency of persistent HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection between FM patients and the control group. Statistically significant correlation was observed between quantitation of changes in QST thermal modalities and HHV-6 infection. There was no correlation between A delta and C nerve fiber damage and HHV-7 infection.

Impact of HHV-6A and HHV-6B lytic infection on autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Herpesviruses are known to manipulate autophagy to optimize their replication, counteract immune response and probably to promote tumourigenesis. This study explored, for the first time, the impact of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 lytic infection on autophagy and demonstrated that HHV-6A and B (viruses sharing more than 80 % homology) differently affected this cellular process. Indeed, while HHV-6A (GS) infection of HSB2 cells promoted autophagy, HHV-6B (Z29) or the virus isolated from the serum of roseola infantum-affected patient-inhibited autophagy in Molt-3 cells or in PBMCs, respectively. Interestingly, the different behaviour of HHV-6A and B on the autophagic process was accompanied by different effects on endoplasmic reticulum stress, unfolded protein response and cell survival that was more strongly reduced by HHV-6B infection. We hypothesize that the ability to inhibit autophagy displayed by HHV-6B could be due to the fact that it contains gene homologues of those encoding for TRS1; the protein responsible for the block of autophagy by human cytomegalovirus. Understanding how HHV-6A/B infection regulates autophagy could be of particular interest, as it has been recently shown that this virus may be involved in Alzheimer's disease in which a dysregulation of autophagy may also play a role.

The Neutralizing Linear Epitope of Human Herpesvirus 6A Glycoprotein B Does Not Affect Virus Infectivity.

Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) glycoprotein B (gB) is a glycoprotein consisting of 830 amino acids and is essential for the growth of the virus. Previously, we reported that a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (MAb) called 87-y-13 specifically reacts with HHV-6A gB, and we identified its epitope residue at asparagine (Asn) 347 on gB. In this study, we examined whether the epitope recognized by the neutralizing MAb is essential for HHV-6A infection. We constructed HHV-6A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) genomes harboring substitutions at Asn347, namely, HHV-6A BACgB(N347K) and HHV-6A BACgB(N347A). These mutant viruses could be reconstituted and propagated in the same manner as the wild type and their revertants, and MAb 87-y-13 could not inhibit infection by either mutant. In a cell-cell fusion assay, Asn at position 347 on gB was found to be nonessential for cell-cell fusion. In addition, in building an HHV-6A gB homology model, we found that the epitope of the neutralizing MAb is located on domain II of gB and is accessible to solvents. These results indicate that Asn at position 347, the linear epitope of the neutralizing MAb, does not affect HHV-6A infectivity.IMPORTANCE Glycoprotein B (gB) is one of the most conserved glycoproteins among all herpesviruses and is a key factor for virus entry. Therefore, antibodies targeted to gB may neutralize virus entry. Human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) encodes gB, which is translated to a protein of about 830 amino acids (aa). Using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) for HHV-6A gB, which has a neutralizing linear epitope, we analyzed the role of its epitope residue, N347, in HHV-6A infectivity. Interestingly, this gB linear epitope residue, N347, was not essential for HHV-6A growth. By constructing a homology model of HHV-6A gB, we found that N347 was located in the region corresponding to domain II. Therefore, with regard to its neutralizing activity against HHV-6A infection, the epitope on gB might be exposed to solvents, suggesting that it might be a target of the immune system.

HHV-6A in vitro infection of thyrocytes and T cells alters the expression of miRNA associated to autoimmune thyroiditis.

BACKGROUND: Human herpesviruses have been hypothesized as environmental triggers in the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), and in particular active human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) infection was detected in thyrocytes of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) patients, who also show specific anti-viral immune responses. On the other hand, AITD patients display modulation of specific miRNAs in thyroid tissue and blood. We wanted to ascertain whether HHV-6A infection might be correlated to the miRNA dysregulation observed in AITD. METHODS: Human thyroid and T-cell lines were infected in vitro with HHV-6A,-6B or -7, and analysed for miRNAs expression, either by microarray or by specific RT-PCR assays detecting miRNAs associated with AITD in vivo. RESULTS: HHV-6A infection, but not -6B or -7 infections, induced a decrease in miR-155_2 expression and an increase in miR-1238 expression in thyrocytes, as well as an increase in the expression levels of several autoimmunity-associated miRNAs in T lymphocytes, including miR-16_1, miR34a, miR-130a, miR-143_1, miR-202, miR-301b, miR-302c, miR-449b, miR-451_1, and miR-1238_2. CONCLUSIONS: HHV-6A infection modulates miRNAs expression in the cell types involved in the development of AITD. Notably, our in vitro findings correlate with what observed in AITD patients, further supporting the association between HHV-6A infection and AITD development. Moreover, these effects are 6A-specific, emphasizing the differences between the two HHV-6 virus species, and suggesting diverse virus mechanisms of action and therapeutic approaches.

Human herpesvirus 6 U11 protein is critical for virus infection.

All herpesviruses contain a tegument layer comprising a protein matrix; these proteins play key roles during viral assembly and egress. Here, liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS/MS) of proteins from human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6)-infected cells revealed a possible association between two major tegument proteins, U14 and U11. This association was verified by immunoprecipitation experiments. Moreover, U11 protein was expressed during the late phase of infection and incorporated into virions. Finally, in contrast to its revertant, a U11 deletion mutant could not be reconstituted. Taken together, these results suggest that HHV-6 U11 is an essential gene for virus growth and propagation.

Cytoplasmic tail domain of glycoprotein B is essential for HHV-6 infection.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) glycoprotein B (gB) is an abundantly expressed viral glycoprotein required for viral entry and cell fusion, and is highly conserved among herpesviruses. The present study examined the function of HHV-6 gB cytoplasmic tail domain (CTD). A gB CTD deletion mutant was constructed which, in contrast to its revertant, could not be reconstituted. Moreover, deletion of gB cytoplasmic tail impaired the intracellular transport of gB protein to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Taken together, these results suggest that gB CTD is critical for HHV-6 propagation and important for intracellular transportation.

Human herpesvirus 6 glycoprotein M is essential for virus growth and requires glycoprotein N for its maturation.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a T-lymphotropic virus belonging to the betaherpesvirus family. Several HHV-6-encoded glycoproteins are required for cell entry and virion maturation. Glycoprotein M (gM) is conserved among all herpesviruses, and therefore thought to have important functions; however, the HHV-6 g has not been characterized. Here, we examined the expression of HHV-6 g, and examined its function in viral replication, using a mutant and revertant gM. HHV-6 g was expressed on virions as a glycoprotein modified with complex N-linked oligosaccharides. As in other herpesviruses, HHV-6 g formed a complex with glycoprotein N (gN), and was transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the trans-Golgi network only when part of this complex. Finally, a gM mutant virus in which the gM start codon was destroyed was not reconstituted, although its revertant was, indicating that HHV-6 g is essential for virus production, unlike the gM of alphaherpesviruses.

Significance of herpesvirus 6 in BAL fluid of hematology patients with acute respiratory failure.

PURPOSE: Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) is an emerging cause of interstitial pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts. However, the clinical significance of a positive PCR test for HHV6 in respiratory samples from patients with hematological malignancies remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the features and outcomes of 29 critically ill hematology patients with acute respiratory failure and lung pulmonary infiltrates visible on a chest radiograph, who tested positive for a qualitative PCR for HHV6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. RESULTS: Of the 29 patients, 18 (62%) were stem cell transplant recipients and 11 (38%) had received chemotherapy. All patients had a fever. Clinical manifestations consistent with extra-pulmonary HHV6 disease were noted in 17 (59%) patients. One or more co-pathogens were found in 25 (86%) patients. The four remaining patients diagnosed with HHV6 pneumonia and subsequently recovered with foscarnet therapy. Antiviral therapy was also given to seven patients with co-infections, of whom two ultimately died. CONCLUSIONS: In most cases, HHV6 recovered from BAL fluid is a co-pathogen whose clinical relevance remains undetermined. However, in some cases, HHV6 is the only pathogen, along with disseminated systemic viral disease, and the patient is likely to benefit from foscarnet therapy.

Human herpesvirus 6 encoded glycoprotein Q1 gene is essential for virus growth.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) glycoprotein Q1 (gQ1), a unique gene in HHV-6, forms a complex with glycoproteinH (gH) and gL, which is the viral ligand for its cellular receptor, CD46. However, whether gQ1 is essential for virus growth is unknown, because a system is lacking for making gene knockouts for HHV-6. Recently, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and E. coli mutagenesis techniques have been applied to herpesvirus investigation. Here we successfully inserted the HHV-6A genome into a BAC, and obtained reconstituted infectious virus from the HHV-6A-containing BAC DNA. Using this system, we generated a gQ1 mutant virus genome, which failed to yield reconstituted infectious virus, whereas its revertant virus could be produced, indicating that the HHV-6 gQ1 gene is essential for virus growth. Therefore, we successfully applied BAC and E. coli mutagenesis techniques to the study of HHV-6, and discovered that HHV-6 gQ1 is an essential gene for virus growth.

Reactivation of latent human immunodeficiency virus 1 by human herpesvirus 6 infection.

Infection of the ACH-2 line of human leukemic T cells carrying latent Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) with Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) resulted in an increase in reverse transcriptase (RT) activity, a marker of HIV-1 activation, in the culture supernatant. A similar effect was obtained with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). The RT activity reached a peak at 24 hrs post infection (p.i.) and then declined, suggesting that the cells underwent lysis. The HIV-1 antigen was co-expressed with an early-late HHV-6 product, but not always with an immediate-early (IE) HHV-6 product, suggesting that one or more IE gene products were involved in the activation of latent HIV-1 in ACH-2 cells.

Infection with an endemic human herpesvirus disrupts critical glial precursor cell properties.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), a common resident virus of the human CNS, has been implicated in both acute and chronic inflammatory--demyelinating diseases. Although HHV-6 persists within the human CNS and has been described to infect mature oligodendrocytes, nothing is known about the susceptibility of glial precursors, the ancestors of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes, to viral infection. We show that HHV-6 infects human glial precursor cells in vitro. Active infection was demonstrated by both electron microscopy and expression of viral gene transcripts and proteins, with subsequent formation of cell syncytia. Infection leads to alterations in cell morphology and impairment of cell replication but not increased cell death. Infected cells showed decreased proliferation as measured by bromodeoxyuridine uptake, which was confirmed by blunting of the cell growth rate of infected cells compared with uninfected controls over time. The detailed analysis using novel, fluorescent-labeled HHV-6A or HHV-6B reagents demonstrated strong G1/S phase inhibition in infected precursor cells. Cell cycle arrest in HHV-6-infected cells was associated with a profound decrease in the expression of the glial progenitor cell marker A2B5 and a corresponding increase in the oligodendrocyte differentiation marker GalC. These data demonstrate for the first time that infection of primary human glial precursor cells with a neurologically relevant human herpesvirus causes profound alterations of critical precursor cell properties. In light of recent observations that repair of CNS demyelination is dependent on the generation of mature oligodendrocytes from the glial precursor cell pool, these findings may have broad implications for both the ineffective repair seen in demyelinating diseases and the disruption of normal glial maturation.

In vitro activities of benzimidazole D- and L-ribonucleosides against herpesviruses.

Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) are responsible for a number of clinical manifestations in both normal and immunocompromised individuals. The parent benzimidazole ribonucleosides evaluated in this series, 2-bromo-5,6-dichloro-1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)benzimidazole (BDCRB) and maribavir (1263W94), are potent and selective inhibitors of human CMV replication. These nucleosides act by two different mechanisms. BDCRB blocks the processing and maturation of viral DNA, whereas 1263W94 inhibits the viral enzyme pUL97 and interferes with DNA synthesis. In the present study, we have evaluated the in vitro antiviral activity of BDCRB, an analog, GW275175X (175X), and 1263W94 against the replication of HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, CMV, EBV, HHV-6, and HHV-8. By using various methodologies, significant activity was observed against human CMV and EBV but not against HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, HHV-6, or HHV-8. Plaque reduction assays performed on a variety of laboratory and clinical isolates of human CMV indicated that all strains, including those resistant to ganciclovir (GCV) and foscarnet, were sensitive to all three benzimidazole ribonucleosides, with mean 50% effective concentration values of about 1 to 5 microM compared to that of GCV at 6 microM. The toxicity of these compounds in tissue culture cells appeared to be similar to that observed with GCV. These results demonstrate that the benzimidazole ribonucleosides are active against human CMV and EBV and suggest that they may be useful for the treatment of infections caused by these herpesviruses.

Identification and characterization of the gene products of open reading frame U86/87 of human herpesvirus 6.

The human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) immediate early-A locus (IE-A) locates in the position analogous to the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) major IE (MIE) locus that is well-known to play critical roles in viral infection. Similarly to HCMV MIE, HHV-6 IE-A consists of two genetic units, IE1 and IE2, corresponding to open reading frames U90-U89 and U90-U86/87, respectively. However, the HHV-6 IE-A locus exhibits limited sequence homology with the HCMV MIE locus. In this study, to characterize HHV-6 IE2 gene products, polyclonal antibodies against four domains of the U86/87 open reading frame were generated by immunization of rabbits with bacterially-expressed proteins. Three polypeptides derived from the U86/87 region with apparent molecular masses of 100, 85 and 55 kD were detected in HHV-6-infected cells 3 days after infection, while IE1 polypeptides with apparent molecular mass greater than 170 kD were detectable as early as 8 h. Mapping of the IE2 gene products with the antibodies suggests differential splicing and alternative translation initiation in the IE2 genetic unit. The IE2 products show a mixed cytoplasmic and nuclear localization pattern. In addition, the 437 amino acid carboxyl-terminus domain bound to a DNA fragment containing the putative IE-A promoter. These results suggest that HHV-6 IE2 plays a critical role in transcriptional regulation and viral growth as does HCMV IE2, although it is likely that HHV-6 IE2 has expression kinetics different from HCMV IE2.

High incidence of human herpesvirus 6 infection with a high viral load in cord blood stem cell transplant recipients.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection in recipients of cord blood stem cell transplants (CBSCTs) was estimated by semiquantitative and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse-transcription PCR. Of the CBSCT recipients, 7 (70%) of 10 had active HHV-6 infection after transplantation, and all 7 were inferred from their age to have already had a primary infection. Because HHV-6 DNA is seldom detected in cord blood, these cases were considered likely to represent reactivation. In contrast, the 3 patients without HHV-6 infection were all believed to be naive regarding HHV-6 primary infection because of their age and the results of PCR assays given before the transplantation procedure. The incidence of HHV-6 infection after transplantation was significantly higher (P <.05) than after bone marrow (BM) transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation, when recipients without primary HHV-6 infection prior to transplantation were excluded (CBSCT, 100%; BMT/PBSCT, 56.3%). Real-time PCR revealed a higher level of viral DNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CBSCT recipients than from BMT/PBSCT recipients or patients with exanthem subitum (P <.05). HHV-6 mRNA of the U79/80 gene was also detected by reverse-transcription PCR in all analyzed patients with HHV-6 infection. Its detection was correlated with the emergence of viral DNA in the plasma and symptoms such as fever and rash. Thus, HHV-6 infection was more frequent and the viral load was higher in CBSCT recipients with prior primary infection.

Human herpesvirus 6 infection mimicking juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia in an infant.

In vitro cell culture studies of bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cells from patients with juvenile myclomonocytic leukemia (JMML) consistently show spontaneous proliferation and selective hypersensitivity to granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). This GM-CSF hypersensitivity dose-response assay has become a component of the international diagnostic criteria for JMML. The authors report a 2-week-old boy with perinatal human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection in whom in vitro bone marrow culture studies suggested the diagnosis of JMML by showing increased spontaneous proliferation, inhibition of this growth by anti-GM-CSF antibodies, and hypersensitivity to GM-CSF. Polymerase chain reaction viral studies from whole blood DNA and the shell vial viral culture assay were both positive for HHV-6. The patient's condition improved with expectant treatment, with an eventual return to normal blood counts and resolution of hepatosplenomegaly. This case of perinatal HHV-6 infection shows that viruses can initially mimic the in vitro culture results found in patients with JMML. It also illustrates that patients suspected of having JMML should be observed if there are no signs of progressive disease and concurrent features suggestive of viral infection.

Ganciclovir is effective for prophylaxis and treatment of human herpesvirus-6 in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection and disease are serious complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Ganciclovir (GCV) is effective against HHV-6 in vitro but the antiviral susceptibility of HHV-6 has not been well characterized in vivo. We retrospectively compared the HHV-6 reactivation rate in pediatric allo-SCT recipients with and without GCV prophylaxis. The HHV-6 reactivation rate at 3 weeks after allo-SCT in patients without prophylactic GCV administration was significantly higher than that in those receiving prophylactic GCV (11/28 vs 0/13, P < 0.01). Five of 36 patients without prophylactic GCV showed clinical manifestations including skin rash, interstitial pneumonitis, persistent thrombocytopenia, enterocolitis and thrombotic microangiopathy, respectively. HHV-6-associated symptoms were observed in one of the 13 patients receiving prophylactic GCV. This patient showed fever, diarrhea and graft rejection concomitantly with a sudden increase of HHV-6 DNA copy number. Patients who received GCV for treatment of HHV-6 infection showed an improvement in symptoms and/or decrease of HHV-6 copy number. Thus, GCV is effective for treating HHV-6 disease after allo-SCT in vivo.

A rapid monitoring system of human herpesviruses reactivation by LightCycler in stem cell transplantation.

To establish a practical monitoring system of human herpesviruses reactivation in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation, we developed a new, very rapid, highly sensitive, and quantitative PCR assay for accurate measurement of human cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA using LightCycler. The LightCycler system revealed that there was a linear correlation in the wide range of viral template DNA at the indicated number of PCR cycles. Peripheral blood cells were collected from 16 patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. The cut-off level of CMV and HHV-6 was assessed as 10(2) copies/microg and that of EBV as 10(3). High numbers of CMV genomes were detected in 3/13 patients after transplant, and reactivation of HHV-6 was frequently seen, whereas none of the patient showed an elevation of EBV genome copies until the end of the observation period. In the present study, the reactivation of beta herpesviruses is associated with the occurrence of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in two patients undergoing allogeneic BMT. Therefore, it may contribute in clarifying the pathological potential of human herpesviruses using a large number of clinical samples. Our results suggest that this system may be useful for monitoring viral reactivation.

Detection and quantification of human herpesvirus 6 genomes using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in immunocompromised patients with interstitial pneumonia.

Human herpesviruses have been recognized as a pathogen involved in interstitial pneumonia (IP), especially in immunocompromised patients. So far, little is known about involvement of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in systemic respiratory tract disease. Currently, routine diagnostic tests for HHV-6 are inefficient for HHV-6 reactivation, therefore, we established a rapid quantification system of HHV-6 using real-time PCR in order to determine the possible role of human HHV-6 reactivation in immunocompromised patients showing IP. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) specimens were obtained from 84 consecutively treated patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD) including various types of IP. First, we determined the viral burden in BALF and peripheral blood obtained from healthy volunteers. In healthy volunteers, the prevalence of HHV-6 in BALF was higher (4/12, 33.3%) than in peripheral blood (8/53, 15.1%), ranging from 0 to 101.65 HHV-6 genome copies per 1 microg of DNA. Among 84 patients with ILD analyzed, the prevalence of HHV-6 in BALF was 27.4% (23/84), ranging from 0 to 103.87 copies per 1 microg of DNA. Three specimens obtained from patients with collagen vascular disease, 2 from Hodgkin's disease, and 1 with sarcoidosis had high level of HHV-6 viral DNA, while none of the patients with idiopathic IP showed elevation of HHV-6 (more than 102) in BALF. Our results suggest that measurement of HHV-6 genomes in BALF using real-time PCR may be useful in management of the care of respiratory complications in immunocompromised patients.

Correlation between HHV-6 infection and skin rash after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

We investigated whether a causal relationship exists between human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and skin rash resembling acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Isolation of HHV-6 was used to monitor active HHV-6 infection in this study. We analyzed 25 episodes of skin rash in 22 recipients. All recipients were seropositive for HHV-6 before BMT. The onset of skin rash started prior to 30 days post transplantation (group A) in 15 of 25 cases, but after that (group B) in the remaining 10 cases. Twenty-five skin tissue samples were obtained from 22 recipients. The HHV-6 genome was detected in four of 15 skin samples from group A, but not detected in those from group B. HHV-6 was isolated from 11 of 22 recipients around 2 to 3 weeks after BMT (range 14 to 28 days after BMT). HHV-6 was isolated at a time between 10 days before and after the onset of skin rash (skin rash-related viremia) in nine cases in group A. Meanwhile, no skin rash-related viremia was observed in group B. Of the four recipients with positive detection of HHV-6 genome in their skin tissue (group A), two had HHV-6 viremia at the same time. The association between the timing of HHV-6 infection and the onset of skin rash was analyzed statistically. HHV-6 viremia (skin rash-related viremia) was found in nine of 15 (60%) cases in group A, compared with none of 10 (0%) cases in group B. This difference was statistically significant (P = 0.008). Moreover, HHV-6 infection (skin rash-related viremia and/or positive detection of HHV-6 DNA in skin tissue) was demonstrated in 11 of 15 (73.3%) cases in group A, compared with none of 10 (0%) cases in group B (P = 0.001). Thus, this study suggests that HHV-6 may be involved in the development of skin rash in the first month after allogeneic BMT.

Inverse relationship between human herpesvirus-6 and -7 detection after allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation.

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and -7 were analyzed in 25 and 18 patients with allogeneic (allo) and autologous (auto) stem cell transplantation (SCT), respectively, by weekly examination of viral DNA in peripheral mononuclear cells using semiquantitative PCR and serologic tests up to 12 weeks after SCT. HHV-6 DNA was detected in 29.6% and 27.9% of samples after allo- and auto-SCT, respectively. The proportions of HHV-6-DNA-positive samples increased in week 3 and 4 after allo-SCT, and in week 1 to 3 after auto-SCT. The frequency of HHV-7 DNA detection, however, was higher after auto-SCT (24.7%) than allo-SCT (12.8%) (P 10(2) copies of HHV-6 DNA (/10(5) cells) on two consecutive occasions were allo-SCT recipients and three showed clinical episodes. Conversely, three of five patients with continuous reactivation of HHV-7 were auto-SCT recipients. Thus, the frequencies of HHV-6 and -7 DNA detection showed an inverse relationship comparing allo- and auto-SCT, suggesting a different mechanism may regulate HHV-6 and -7 reactivation.