Prevalence of HSV‐1 LAT in Human Trigeminal, Geniculate, and Vestibular Ganglia and Its Implication for Cranial Nerve Syndromes

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2001.tb00408.x
• Publication Date: 2010-07-27T05:26:29Z
• Authors: Diethilde Theil; Viktor Arbusow; Tobias Derfuss; Michael Strupp; Matthias Pfeiffer; Andrea Mascolo; Thomas Brandt
• Keywords: Geniculate ganglion; Scarpa's ganglion; Vestibular nerve; Trigeminal ganglion; Geniculate; Trigeminal Nerve; Cranial nerves

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) enters sensory neurons and can remain latent there until reactivation. During latency restricted HSV‐1 gene expression takes place in the form of latency‐associated transcripts (LAT). LAT has been demonstrated to be important not only for but also reactivation, which may cause cranial nerve disorders. Tissue sections trigeminal ganglia (TG), geniculate (GG), vestibular (VG) from seven subjects were examined presence using situ hybridization technique. was found on both sides all TG (100%), five (70%) GG, none VG. Using a second more sensitive detection method (RT‐PCR), we VG ten other persons (70%). This is first study demonstrate viral VG, finding that supports hypothesis neuritis caused by The distribution indicates primary infection occurs GG subsequently spreads along faciovestibular anastomosis