Acyclovir treatment prevents varicella-zoster virus replication in PBMC during viremia

The most effective antiviral therapy of varicella and zoster has become acyclovir. Using polymerase chain reaction specific for VZV ORF 14, ORF 29, ORF 63 as well as nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (ORF 63, ORF 68) we tested PBMC of patients with VZV-associated diseases for the presence of viral DNA and RNA, respectively. In PBMC of patients treated with acyclovir neither DNA nor RNA was detectable already one day after the onset of therapy. In three blood sample pairs from zoster patients we were able to detect viral nucleic acid before but not after acyclovir treatment. These results confirm clinical and epidemiological data. It can be concluded that treatment with acyclovir prevents VZV replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.