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. 1993 May;31(5):1262–1267. doi: 10.1128/jcm.31.5.1262-1267.1993

Human herpesvirus 6 DNA in peripheral blood cells and saliva from immunocompetent individuals.

R W Cone 1, M L Huang 1, R Ashley 1, L Corey 1
PMCID: PMC262915  PMID: 8388889

Abstract

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) genome equivalents were quantitated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and saliva from 20 healthy individuals by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nineteen of 20 subjects (95%) harbored HHV-6 DNA: 18 (90%) had HHV-6 in their PBMCs and 18 had HHV-6 in their saliva. Quantitative PCR revealed HHV-6 DNA levels ranging from negative to 4,000 HHV-6 genome equivalents per 10(6) PBMCs and from negative to 200,000 HHV-6 genome equivalents per ml of saliva. Longitudinal saliva samples from 15 HHV-6-seropositive subjects revealed salivary HHV-6 DNA persistence in 13 subjects. HHV-6 antibodies were detected in 17 of 19 subjects, with titers ranging from 1:400 to 1:51,200 (geometric mean titer, 1:2,500). Antibody titers did not correlate with HHV-6 DNA levels in PBMCs or saliva (P = 0.27 and P = 0.44, respectively). One subject with persistent HHV-6 DNA lacked detectable HHV-6 antibodies. The high prevalence of HHV-6 DNA in PBMCs and saliva supports the concept that HHV-6 exists at these sites in normal individuals.

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Selected References

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