Quantification of circulating varicella zoster virus-DNA for the early diagnosis of visceral varicella.

Abstract

Varicella zoster virus (VZV)-DNA was quantified in peripheral blood of 2 patients with visceral varicella due to endogenous reactivation. An 18-year-old male contracted varicella following the courses of chemotherapy for T cell lymphoma. Another 18-year-old male suffered from varicella 16 months after the complete engraftment of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Both patients had past VZV infection, but no recent contact with the disease. Paralytic ileus and ascites preceded the skin lesions. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed >200 copies of VZV per 1 ml of whole blood before or at the time when cropping vesicles emerged. The viral load reflected their prolonged clinical courses. Similar levels of VZV-DNA were detected in primary varicella patients, but not in herpes zoster patients or immunocompromised children without varicella or zoster. Quantitative monitoring of circulating VZV-DNA may be useful for the diagnosis and assessing the treatment response of visceral varicella in immunocompromized hosts.

• Authors: Yoshito Ishizaki, Junichiro Tezuka, Shouichi Ohga, Akihiko Nomura, Naohiro Suga, Ryuichi Kuromaru, Koichi Kusuhara, Yumi Mizuno, Naoki Kasuga, Toshiro Hara
• Journal: The Journal of infection (J Infect) Vol. 47 Issue 2 Pg. 133-8 (Aug 2003) ISSN: 0163-4453 [Print] England
• PMID: 12860147 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• DNA, Viral

Topics

• Adolescent
• Chickenpox (diagnosis, virology)
• DNA, Viral (analysis, blood)
• Herpes Zoster (diagnosis, virology)
• Herpesvirus 3, Human (isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Male
• Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Viral Load
• Viremia (diagnosis, virology)
• Viscera (virology)