<2> Sanders VJ et al.
PRESENCE OF HERPES SIMPLEX DNA IN SURGICAL TISSUE FROM HUMAN EPILEPTIC
SEIZURE FOCI DETECTED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION - PRELIMINARY STUDY
Archives of Neurology. 54(8):954-960, 1997 Aug.
Objectives: To determine whether herpes simplex virus causes monofocal
epilepsy and to assess the presence of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)
and
HSV-2 in surgical specimens from patients with epilepsy by using
polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis.
Background: Herpes simplex virus is a common neurotropic virus capable
of
latency within the central nervous system; it has a predilection for
the
temporal lobe. Central nervous system infection with HSV has been
associated with seizure activity.
Design and Methods: Surgical specimens were removed from 50 patients
as
part of a treatment protocol for monofocal epilepsy. Neuropathological
classification was done, and adjacent sections were screened for HSV
by
using polymerase chain reaction. Tissues obtained post mortem from the
temporal lobe cortex of persons with Alzheimer disease (n = 17),
Parkinson
disease (n = 14), or nonneurological disease (n = 17) served as
controls.
Results: Twenty (40%) of the 50 epilepsy cases and 2 (4%) of the 48
control cases had at least one sample that tested positive for HSV (P
<
.001). Sixty-seven percent (8/12) of the epilepsy cases with
heterotopia
were positive for HSV.
Conclusions: There was a statistically significant difference in the
frequency of HSV-positive surgical specimens from monofocal seizure
epicenters compared with nonepilepsy control specimens. These data
suggest
an association of the virus with seizure activity. All specimens
positive
for HSV (surgical specimens and control specimens) should be examined
to
determine the activity or latency state of the virus and cellular
localization. [References: 21]
