Abstract |
Neurological manifestations associated with HHV-7 have been described in primary infection in children, and very occasionally in immunocompromised adult patients. However, the role of HHV-7 reactivation as a cause of central nervous system ( CNS) diseases in immunocompetent adults has not yet been defined. We retrospectively analyzed clinical and microbiological features of adults with neurological symptoms who underwent lumbar puncture and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for herpesviruses (HHV-1-8) and enteroviruses performed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), during a 4-year period. A total of 251 subjects were included. Mean age was 55 years, ranging 15-89. Globally, HHV-7 DNA was detected in CSF in 14 patients (5.6%). It was detected in 1 of 36 patients with microbiologically confirmed CNS infections, and in 7 of 172 patients with diagnoses of non-infectious neurological disorders (Specificity 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.93-0.99). Additionally, HHV-7 DNA was detected in 6 of 21 patients (28.6%) with probable CNS infections (compatible clinical syndrome and CSF changes) in the absence of other causative agent: four meningitis, one myelitis, and one encephalitis. Treatment with foscarnet was effective in achieving improvement of symptoms and clearance of HHV-7 DNA in CSF in the cases of encephalitis and myelitis, while ganciclovir was ineffective in the case of encephalitis. Our results show that HHV-7 reactivation may cause CNS disease in immunocompetent adults and that detection of HHV-7 DNA in CSF as a false-positive result or as asymptomatic reactivation in adult patients with neurological diseases is uncommon. Foscarnet seems the first-line treatment for HHV-7 CNS disease.
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Authors | Íñigo Corral, Susana Sainz de la Maza, Mario Rodríguez, Michal-Maciej Kawiorski, María-José López-Martínez, Juan-Carlos Galán |
Journal | Journal of neurovirology
(J Neurovirol)
Vol. 24
Issue 3
Pg. 333-338
(06 2018)
ISSN: 1538-2443 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 29536269
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Antiviral Agents
- DNA, Viral
- Foscarnet
- Ganciclovir
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Antiviral Agents
(therapeutic use)
- DNA, Viral
(cerebrospinal fluid, genetics, isolation & purification)
- Encephalitis, Viral
(cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, drug therapy, virology)
- Female
- Foscarnet
(therapeutic use)
- Ganciclovir
(therapeutic use)
- Herpesvirus 7, Human
(genetics, isolation & purification)
- Humans
- Male
- Meningitis, Viral
(cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, drug therapy, virology)
- Middle Aged
- Myelitis
(cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, drug therapy, virology)
- Retrospective Studies
- Roseolovirus Infections
(cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, drug therapy, virology)
- Spinal Puncture
(methods)
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