1. Polymerase chain reaction analysis and oligoclonal antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid from 34 patients with varicella-zoster virus infection of the nervous system
- Author
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Sophie Goffette, Vincent Van Pesch, Christian Sindic, André Peeters, and S. M. Gregoire
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Paper ,Adult ,Male ,Herpesvirus 3, Human ,Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,viruses ,Immunoblotting ,Population ,medicine.disease_cause ,Herpes Zoster ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Cerebrospinal fluid ,Radiculitis ,medicine ,Humans ,education ,Antigens, Viral ,Aged ,Cerebrospinal Fluid ,Aged, 80 and over ,education.field_of_study ,business.industry ,fungi ,Oligoclonal Bands ,Varicella zoster virus ,food and beverages ,virus diseases ,Meningoencephalitis ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Rash ,Editorial Commentary ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,DNA, Viral ,Central Nervous System Viral Diseases ,Female ,Surgery ,Neurology (clinical) ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Meningitis ,Encephalitis - Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 34 consecutive patients suspected of having varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Population and METHODS: The patients were divided into three groups. The first group consisted of 27 patients with a rash in one to three dermatomes and clinical suspicion of meningitis and radiculitis; among them, three subgroups were distinguished according to the affected dermatome: ophthalmicus (n = 9), oticus (n = 11) and cervico-thoraco-lumbar zoster (n = 7). Four cases of zoster sine herpete (ZSH) were included in the second group: these patients presented with either radiculitis (n = 2) or meningoencephalitis (n = 2), without cutaneous eruption. The third group consisted of three patients with a generalised rash and encephalitis. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for VZV DNA and antigen-driven immunoblots for oligoclonal anti-VZV antibodies were carried out on all CSF samples. RESULTS: PCR of the CSF was positive in 44% of the patients from the first group, mainly within the first 7 days after eruption. In addition, intrathecal synthesis of anti-VZV antibodies was detected in 37% of patients, always after an interval of 7 days (p
- Published
- 2006
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