Hi! Gerald, I have clipped some messages together, just some notes
on what I have found out about herpes and PD. Sorry I am so busy
these days and I have not had time to put it all together. I hope
they make some sense. Best Wishes, Linda Forrest's Mom
And remember this is just a theory. Detecting Herpes Simplex Virus
in brain tissue is very difficult and can or will sometimes result
in a false-negative testing. Yet, Herpes Simplex is just one of
the members of the herpes family that can cause CNS damage.
As a recent intestinal-permeability study showed, "familial" does not
always imply "genetic". Interestingly, a gene-therapy being tried for PD
is based upon "attenuated" herpes-simplex-virus as the carrier. Why?
Because HSV can travel into monoamergic neurons, including those
affected in PD.
<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]
Gerald P. Connolly wrote:
>
> Dear Larry,
>
> My Partner is suspected of having PD, to be tested next month.
> She has had chicken pox when young, and shingles recently.
> She seemed to develope PD about 6 months latter and has never been her old
> self. since then.
> Please keep me informed of your findings.
> I belive there is a virus-infection that can trigger PD?
> Any info. most wellcome.
>
> Gerald
>
> Flemco- wrote:
>
> > Dear Listmembers,
> >
> > The following is from Encarta:
> > Herpes Zoster
> >
> > "Known as shingles, this is a one-time recurrence of the symptoms of
> > chicken pox, usually during adulthood. It is caused by the chicken pox
> > virus attacking a sensory nerve. The skin over the nerve generally breaks
> > out in blisters a few days after the onset of the disorder, which is
> > accompanied by pain and frequent numbness or hypersensitivity along the
> > course of the nerve, usually the trunk. The blisters are at first clear,
> > but become cloudy within a few days and form crusts that dry up after five
> > or ten days.
> > The skin manifestation of herpes zoster is not serious, but the pain caused
> > by the inflammation of the underlying nerve can be severe, lasting for
> > weeks; recovery may be followed by persistence of neuralgia in the area of
> > the involved nerve. High doses of acyclovir can significantly reduce the
> > symptoms of herpes zoster. Normally, medication relieves pain, and the
> > disease subsides spontaneously. More severe cases may be treated with such
> > steroids as cortisone. In cases of persistent pain, the involved nerve may
> > be either blocked by drugs or cut."
> >
> > I had shingles and chicken pox as a child and shingles again in my
> > mid-30's. I remember my adult episode occurring during a period of
> > extraordinary stress in my life (job and family related). As a child, I
> > don't know what I was stressed about.
> >
> > Have any of you suffered from shingles and do you suspect any relationship
> > with PD?
> >
> > How many have had chicken pox?
> >
> > Did we not have some postings this past fall concerning herpes?
> >
> > Any comments? This is not intended to be a survey. I was just curious and
> > wondered if others had similar experiences.
> >
> > Larry Fleming 51/1
> > [log in to unmask]
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dr. Gerald P. Connolly <[log in to unmask]>
>
> Dr. Gerald P. Connolly
> <[log in to unmask]>
> Purine Research Lab, Work: 0171-955-8718
> London Bridge, Fax: 0171-407-6689
> LONDON Netscape Conference Address
> UK
> SE1 9RT
> ENGLAND
> Additional Information:
> Last Name Connolly
> First NameDr. Gerald P.
> Version 2.1
