[Detection of herpesvirus DNA in intraocular tissues]

To elucidate the pathogenic mechanism of end-ophthalmitis due to viruses of the herpes family, one approach is to utilize the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of the viral DNA. Using PCR, we examined 15 human eyes for the presence and distribution of DNA of the herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6). HSV DNA was found in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of 3 eyes, VZV DNA was found in the RPE of 2 eyes and the retina of 1 eye, EBV DNA was found in the iris and ciliary body of 2 eyes, the retina of 4 eyes, the RPE of 2 eyes, and the choroid of 1 eye, and HCMV DNA was found in the retina and choroid of 1 eye. These results indicate the possibility that herpes family viruses have an affinity for intraocular tissues, particularly the retina and the RPE.