Human Herpesvirus-6 Infection in Children -- A Prospective Study of Complications and Reactivation

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 331; no. 7; pp. 432 - 438
• Main Authors: Hall, Caroline Breese, Long, Christine E, Schnabel, Kenneth C, Caserta, Mary T, McIntyre, Kim M, Costanzo, Maria A, Knott, Anne, Dewhurst, Stephen, Insel, Richard A, Epstein, Leon G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Massachusetts Medical Society 18.08.1994
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Age; Antibodies, Viral - biosynthesis; Base Sequence; Bone marrow; Cell culture; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; DNA Primers; DNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Follow-Up Studies; Genomes; Health risk assessment; Herpesviridae Infections - complications; Herpesviridae Infections - diagnosis; Herpesviridae Infections - microbiology; Herpesvirus 6, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 6, Human - growth & development; Herpesvirus 6, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Illnesses; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Infections; Laboratories; Molecular Sequence Data; Newborn babies; Pediatrics; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prospective Studies; Seizures; Seroconversion; Studies; Transplants & implants; Treatment Outcome; Viremia; Viremia - complications; Viremia - diagnosis; Viremia - microbiology; Virus Activation
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM199408183310703

In follow-up studies over a period of one to two years, the HHV-6 genome persisted in blood mononuclear cells after primary infection in 37 of 56 children (66 percent). Reactivation, sometimes with febrile illnesses, was suggested by subsequent increases in antibody titers in 16 percent (30 of 187) and by PCR in 6 percent (17 of 278). No recurrent viremia was detected. Of 41 healthy newborns studied, 12 (29 percent) had the HHV-6 genome in their blood mononuclear cells; nevertheless, 6 of these newborns subsequently had primary HHV-6 infections. Conclusions: In infants and young children HHV-6 infection is a major . . .