[Distribution of herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 genomes in the human spinal ganglia]

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is well known for its propensity to cause recurrent oral or genital mucosal infections in humans. HSV-1 is involved primarily in oral lesions, whereas HSV-2 is more frequently involved in genital lesions. Based on this, it is thought that HSV-1 may produce latent infections in trigeminal ganglia, and HSV-2 in the sacral ganglia. However the distribution pattern of latent HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections in spinal ganglia remains unknown. Using the polymerase chain reaction we detected latent herpes HSV-1 and HSV-2 in human spinal ganglia obtained from autopsy material. A pair of primers which were specific for a part of the HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA polymerase domain were employed. HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNAs were detected in 11 of 40 (28%) and 15 of 40 (38%) cervical ganglia, respectively, 52 of 103 (50%) and 47 of 103 (46%) thoracic ganglia, 16 of 53 (30%) and 17 of 53 (32%) lumbar ganglia, and 3 of 20 (15%) and 3 of 20 (15%) sacral ganglia. These findings suggest that latent HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections have a widespread distribution from the cervical ganglia to sacral ganglia. Importantly this study demonstrated latent HSV-1 infection of both the lumbar and sacral ganglia for the first time.