Latent Varicella-Zoster Virus in Human Dorsal Root Ganglia

To understand further the molecular events underlying the process of Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) latency in human ganglionic tissues, in situ hybridisation (ISH) for VZV RNA and DNA, and PCR in situ amplification for VZV DNA were used in human dorsal root ganglia from 12 individuals (3 normal and 9 who had died with AIDS). The results showed that (a) two separate regions of the VZV genome, represented by genes 4 and 40, were detected in neurons in two normal and three AIDS ganglia, (b) evidence of transcription of VZV genes 4, 21, 29, and 63 was found in normal and AIDS cases, and (c) VZV DNA and RNA for the same gene (gene 29) was detected in neurons in serial tissue sections in three cases. Thus more than one region of the VZV genome is present in neurons during VZV ganglionic latency, and the presence of both a VZV gene and its corresponding RNA transcript can be shown to occur in the same localised region of DRG tissue.