Puzzles concerning the pathogenicity of human herpesvirus 6

Article Abstract:

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a virus that was first described in 1986. It can cause certain types of diseases in infants and young children. It may also be involved in a variety of conditions that affect older children and adults. A research study found that HHV-6 was present in the lung tissue of bone marrow transplant recipients with pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs. Higher levels of HHV-6 were found in patients who had pneumonitis with no known cause. Increased levels were also associated with greater severity of graft-versus-host disease. A case report found that HHV-6 probably caused a severe infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome. HHV-6 resembles cytomegalovirus genetically, but this may not affect its role in different infectious diseases. It has a strong affinity for different cells of the immune system, and two forms of HHV may exist. Diagnostic tests for HHV-6 need to be improved so that they are more sensitive and accurate.

Editorial, Herpesvirus diseases, Herpesvirus infections

---

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus DNA sequences in prostate tissue and human semen

Article Abstract:

Healthy adults may commonly become infected with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) via sexual transmission. The novel KSHV is most often found in homosexual or bisexual AIDS virus carriers. Researchers analyzed sperm and tissue from the prostate and urogenital tract of 143 men and women without immune deficiencies, 43 of whom were healthy men, for DNA sequences of KSHV. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and hybridization yielded evidence of KSHV in 91% of the semen and in 44% of the prostate samples but much less frequently so in the foreskin or urinary tract. The presence of KSHV in the semen of healthy people suggests a primarily sexual route of transmission, possibly via the rectal mucosa in homosexual men.

Analysis, Medical examination, Disease transmission, Kaposi's sarcoma, DNA viruses, Genitourinary organs, Urogenital system

---

Kaposi's sarcoma-asociated herpesvirus -- the high cost of viral survival

Article Abstract:

Human herpesvirus-8 may cause a lung disease called primary pulmonary hypertension, according to a study published in 2003. This virus is also called Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus because it has been linked to Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS patients. This virus, like all others, wants to survive, and its attempts to do so sometimes cause disease in its human host.

Health aspects, Causes of, Pulmonary hypertension, Human herpesvirus 8

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Slender in the grass. Secret of her success
• Abstracts: Testing the waters. Faces of a clown
• Abstracts: A thief in the night. The ABCs of men's health
• Abstracts: A world of difference. Advances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Breathing new life
• Abstracts: Hear our voices. Nursing in the streets

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.