Presence of human herpes virus 6 DNA exclusively in temporal lobe epilepsy brain tissue of patients with history of encephalitis

Pitt Niehusmann; Tobias Mittelstaedt; Christian G Bien; Jan F Drexler; Alexander Grote; Susanne Schoch; Albert J Becker

doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02741.x

Presence of human herpes virus 6 DNA exclusively in temporal lobe epilepsy brain tissue of patients with history of encephalitis

Epilepsia. 2010 Dec;51(12):2478-83. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02741.x. Epub 2010 Oct 13.

Authors

Pitt Niehusmann¹, Tobias Mittelstaedt, Christian G Bien, Jan F Drexler, Alexander Grote, Susanne Schoch, Albert J Becker

Affiliation

¹ Department of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany. [email protected]

PMID: 21204811
DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2010.02741.x

Abstract

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is frequently associated with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). Many etiologic aspects of TLE are still unresolved. Here, we aimed to analyze the presence of human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) DNA in distinct TLE pathologies. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in surgical tissue from 38 pharmaco-resistant TLE patients and 10 autopsy controls revealed HHV-6 DNA in 55.6% of the TLE patients with a history of encephalitis, involving MTS and gliotic hippocampi without substantial neurodegeneration, but not in lesion-associated TLE or nonlesional MTS with or without a history of complex febrile seizures (CFS). HHV-6 protein was present in only one patient's tissue. Our data argue against HHV-6 as a major local pathogenetic factor in MTS hippocampi after CFS. The high detection rate of HHV-6 DNA suggests a potential pathogenetic role of HHV-6 in TLE patients with a history of encephalitis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Autoantibodies / analysis
Autoantibodies / immunology
Autoantibodies / isolation & purification
Brain / pathology
Brain / surgery
Brain / virology*
DNA, Viral / analysis*
DNA, Viral / isolation & purification
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / genetics
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / pathology
Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / virology*
Glutamate Decarboxylase / analysis
Glutamate Decarboxylase / immunology
Herpesvirus 6, Human / genetics
Herpesvirus 6, Human / isolation & purification*
Hippocampus / pathology
Hippocampus / virology
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Limbic Encephalitis / immunology
Limbic Encephalitis / pathology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Roseolovirus Infections / pathology
Roseolovirus Infections / virology*
Sclerosis / pathology
Sclerosis / virology
Seizures, Febrile / pathology
Seizures, Febrile / virology
Temporal Lobe / pathology
Temporal Lobe / surgery
Temporal Lobe / virology

Substances

Autoantibodies
DNA, Viral
Glutamate Decarboxylase