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A Primary Neuron Culture System for the Study of Herpes Simplex Virus Latency and Reactivation
Published on: April 2, 2012
Herpes simplex virus and Meniere's disease.
1Bobby R Alford Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA. jvrabec@bcm.tmc.edu
The Laryngoscope
|September 16, 2003
Summary
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is more prevalent in vestibular ganglia of Meniere
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Virology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear.
- The etiology of Meniere's disease remains unclear.
- Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a potential factor in neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Meniere's disease and herpes simplex virus (HSV) reactivation.
- To test the hypothesis that HSV plays a role in the pathogenesis of Meniere's disease.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- Vestibular ganglia from Meniere's disease patients and control donors were analyzed.
- Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect HSV DNA in ganglionic tissue.
Main Results:
- HSV DNA was detected in 100% of Meniere's disease patient ganglia versus 81% in controls (P =.02).
- Histological preparation methods (formalin fixation and paraffin embedding) impacted viral DNA detection rates.
- No correlation was found between viral load and tissue processing methods in controls.
Conclusions:
- HSV is more frequently found in vestibular ganglia of Meniere's disease patients.
- These findings support a potential viral etiology for Meniere's disease.
- Tissue processing significantly affects viral detection, highlighting methodological considerations.
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