Background: Shingles are caused by an endogenous or exogenous reinfection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). Up to 50% of individuals with Hodgkin’s disease develop herpes zoster; however, no association could be shown between the occurrence of herpes zoster and underlying subclinical malignancies.
Objective: This study was conducted to investigate whether VZV DNA could be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the blood of herpes zoster patients and whether there was an association between VZV viraemia and previous or concurrent neoplasias.
Methods: At least five blood samples from 28 patients with herpes zoster were investigated by internally controlled PCR enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay prior to and during therapy with aciclovir.
Results: None of 13 patients, two with a history of neoplasia and two with a neoplasia at the time of the study, showed any signs of viraemia with VZV, and 14 patients had inconsistent viraemia, one with a history of neoplasia and two with neoplasia at the time of the study. In one patient VZV DNA was detected in the blood for 6 days. This patient died soon after from metastatic malignant melanoma.
Conclusions: VZV viraemia may occur during herpes zoster episodes, even in patients without evidence of immunosuppression; however, this viraemia is, in most cases, inconsistent and does not provide any specific information concerning underlying unrecognized malignancies.
Varicella zoster viraemia during herpes zoster is not associated with neoplasia
대상포진 동안 수두대상포진 바이러스 혈증은 신생물과 관련이 없다.
[Category] 대상포진, 두창,
[Article Type] Comparative Study
[Source] pubmed
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