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Polymerase Chain Reaction Diagnosis of Varicella Zoster Virus

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Diagnosis of Human Viruses by Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology

Part of the book series: Frontiers of Virology ((FRVIROLOGY,volume 1))

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Summary

Primary infection of humans by varicella zoster virus (VZV) results in chickenpox (varicella). Virus establishes latency in sensory ganglia and reactivates decades later to produce shingles (zoster). Disseminated zoster and postherpetic neuralgia are the two major complications of VZV reactivation in the elderly. There is increasing evidence that VZV can reactivate subclinically (zoster without skin rash), particularly in immunocompromised patients. Thus, the clinical import of rapid diagnosis and use of antiviral drugs in these patients is clear. Although most clinical assays are restricted by their dependence on an adequate host immune response, and by their limited sensitivity and specificity, PCR technology enables the detection of minute amounts of a specific viral DNA sequence in a large excess of background DNA. The availability of the complete DNA sequence of the viral genome has facilitated the diagnosis of VZV by PCR during acute and latent infections. VZV DNA has already been detected by PCR in DNA isolated from human blood MNCs, throat swabs, vesicles and crusts obtained at different times during viral infection, and in latently infected human ganglia. In addition, PCR has also been used to study the early site of viral replication and the mode of transmission of VZV infection. Lastly, the use of nested-primers and quantitative PCR will enhance the sensitivity of detection and permit determination of virus burden in biological specimens. These findings will aid in studies of VZV pathogenesis.

Supported in part by grants AG06127, AG07347, and NS07321 from the Natlonal Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md., and by a grant from the Roy and Beatrice Backus Foundation. A.N.D. is the recipient of an advanced postdoctoral fellowship (FG861-A-1) from the Natlonal Multiple Sclerosis Society

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, 80262, USA

    Ravi Mahalingam, Randall Cohrs, Aud N. Dueland & Donald H. Gilden

  2. Departments of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, 80262, USA

    Donald H. Gilden

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  1. Ravi Mahalingam
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  2. Randall Cohrs
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  3. Aud N. Dueland
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  4. Donald H. Gilden
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Virology Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, POB 1172, Jerusalem, Israel

    Yechiel Becker

  2. Institut für Medizinische Virologie, der Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, W-6900, Heidelberg, Germany

    Gholamreza Darai

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© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Mahalingam, R., Cohrs, R., Dueland, A.N., Gilden, D.H. (1992). Polymerase Chain Reaction Diagnosis of Varicella Zoster Virus. In: Becker, Y., Darai, G. (eds) Diagnosis of Human Viruses by Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology. Frontiers of Virology, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84766-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-84766-0_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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