Investigation of the Pathogenesis of Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection in Guinea Pigs by Using Polymerase Chain Reaction

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 167; no. 1; pp. 78 - 83
• Main Authors: Lowry, Philip W., Sabella, Camille, Koropchak, Celine M., Watson, Brandi N., Thackray, Helen M., Abbruzzi, Gina M., Arvin, Ann M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.01.1993; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Viral - analysis; Ganglia; Ganglia - microbiology; Guinea Pigs; Herpes Zoster - diagnosis; Herpes Zoster - microbiology; Herpesvirus 3, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 3, Human - isolation & purification; Human herpesvirus 3; Human viral diseases; Infections; Infectious diseases; Inoculation; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - microbiology; Major Articles; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; T lymphocytes; Varicella zoster encephalitis; varicella-zoster virus; Viral diseases; Viral diseases with cutaneous or mucosal lesions and viral diseases of the eye; Viremia; Viruses; Varicella zoster virus; Pathogenesis; Herpesviridae; Alphaherpesvirinae; Infection; Virus; Polymerase chain reaction; Blood cell; Experimental disease; Microbiological investigation; Mononuclear cell; Viral disease; Animal; Varicella; Organ
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/167.1.78

The polymerase chain reaction method (PCR) was used to investigate events in the pathogenesis of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection in strain 2, Hartley, and euthymic hairless guinea pigs. VZV was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained 2–5 days after infection in 8 (50%)of 16 strain 2, 4 (40%)of 10hairless, and 10 (34%)of 29 Hartley guinea pigs. The frequency ofVZV-infected PBMC wasestimated to be at least 1/200,000, which is comparable to that observed in human infection. When VZV PCR was used to test ganglia from hairless guinea pigs, samples from 6 of 8 animals werepositive.Of 45 VZV-infectedguinea pigs that were tested for cellular immunity by VZV T lymphocyte proliferation assay, 44 developed a stimulation index >2.0. Control animals had no detectable virus by PCR and did not develop cellular immunity to VZV. These experiments showed that viremia was detectable by PCR during primary VZV infection of guinea pigs in about half of the animals regardless of the strain of guinea pig. Acquisition of cellular immunity provided a consistent marker of infection in all guinea pig strains. PCR was also useful for demonstrating VZV in guinea pig ganglia tissue, with VZV gene sequences being detectable for at least 80 days after infection. With the combination of PCR and immunologic assays, various guinea pig strains should be useful for studies of VZV pathogenesis and for the evaluation of antiviral agents and vaccine strategies.