Use of Saliva to Identify Varicella Zoster Virus Infection of the Gut.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) establishes latency in dorsal root, cranial nerve, and enteric ganglia and can reactivate to cause zoster. Serious gastrointestinal dysfunction can result from VZV reactivation in enteric neurons (enteric zoster), but an absence of rash makes diagnosis difficult. We thus determined whether detecting VZV DNA in saliva facilitates identification of enteric zoster.

Methods

Nested and real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to validate salivary VZV DNA as a surrogate marker of VZV reactivation and then to determine the utility of that marker for the identification of those individuals within a population defined by abdominal pain that might have enteric zoster.

Results

Salivary VZV DNA was detected in 0 of 20 healthy negative

SUBMITTER: Gershon AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4607733 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature