Human herpesvirus-6 entry into the central nervous system through the olfactory pathway

Viruses have been implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a neurotropic virus that has been associated with a wide variety of neurologic disorders, including encephalitis, mesial t...

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Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 108; no. 33; p. 13734
Main Authors: Harberts, Erin, Yao, Karen, Wohler, Jillian E, Maric, Dragan, Ohayon, Joan, Henkin, Robert, Jacobson, Steven
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 16.08.2011
Subjects:
Brain - virology
Central Nervous System - virology
DNA, Viral - analysis
Herpesvirus 6, Human - physiology
Humans
Mucous Membrane - virology
Neuroglia - virology
Olfactory Pathways - virology
Virus Internalization
Virus Replication
ISSN:1091-6490, 1091-6490
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:Viruses have been implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a neurotropic virus that has been associated with a wide variety of neurologic disorders, including encephalitis, mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Currently, the route of HHV-6 entry into the CNS is unknown. Using autopsy specimens, we found that the frequency of HHV-6 DNA in the olfactory bulb/tract region was among the highest in the brain regions examined. Given this finding, we investigated whether HHV-6 may infect the CNS via the olfactory pathway. HHV-6 DNA was detected in a total of 52 of 126 (41.3%) nasal mucous samples, showing the nasal cavity is a reservoir for HHV-6. Furthermore, specialized olfactory-ensheathing glial cells located in the nasal cavity were demonstrated to support HHV-6 replication in vitro. Collectively, these results support HHV-6 utilization of the olfactory pathway as a route of entry into the CNS.
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ISSN:1091-6490
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1105143108