Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
08:44

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis

Published on: September 7, 2022

2.3K

Frequency of chromosomally-integrated human herpesvirus 6 in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Annie Gravel1, Daniel Sinnett2, Louis Flamand3

  • 1Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunity, CHU de Quebec Research Center, Quebec, Canada.

Plos One
|January 4, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Chromosomally-integrated Human Herpesvirus 6 (ciHHV-6) was investigated in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The study found no significant difference in ciHHV-6 frequency between leukemia patients and healthy donors, suggesting it does not cause leukemia.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Oncology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a common virus, with 0.2-1% of infected individuals carrying chromosomally-integrated HHV-6 (ciHHV-6).
  • The biological impact of ciHHV-6 remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of ciHHV-6 in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients versus healthy controls.
  • To investigate the potential link between ciHHV-6 and ALL development.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative TaqMan PCR (QPCR) was used to detect ciHHV-6 DNA in 293 children with ALL and 288 healthy individuals.
  • HHV-6 specific primers and probes were employed, with GAPDH primers used for DNA quality control.

Main Results:

  • One case (0.35%) of ciHHV-6 (variant A) was detected in the ALL cohort.
  • No ciHHV-6 was found in the 288 healthy control samples.
  • The frequency of ciHHV-6 was statistically similar between the ALL and control groups (p=0.5).

Conclusions:

  • The prevalence of ciHHV-6 is comparable in children with ALL and healthy individuals.
  • These findings indicate that ALL does not appear to arise as a consequence of HHV-6 chromosomal integration.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the biological consequences of ciHHV-6.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Murine Model of Leukemia Relapse to Induction Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia08:31

Murine Model of Leukemia Relapse to Induction Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Published on: October 17, 2025

825
An Efficient and Simple Method to Establish NK and T Cell Lines from Patients with Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection09:43

An Efficient and Simple Method to Establish NK and T Cell Lines from Patients with Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection

Published on: March 30, 2018

8.5K

Related Concept Videos

Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
102
Disorders of Leukocytes01:27

Disorders of Leukocytes

Leukocyte disorders can lead to either leukopenia, characterized by an abnormally low leukocyte count, or leukocytosis, marked by a very high leukocyte number.
Leukopenia may result from bone marrow disorders, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. For example, conditions such as multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia can impair the bone marrow's ability to produce adequate leukocytes. Similarly, autoimmune diseases like lupus and viral infections such as HIV can prompt the immune...
2.3K