PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - C S Robertson
AU  - B A Martin
AU  - M Atkinson
TI  - Varicella-zoster virus DNA in the oesophageal myenteric plexus in achalasia.
AID  - 10.1136/gut.34.3.299
DP  - 1993 Mar 01
TA  - Gut
PG  - 299--302
VI  - 34
IP  - 3
4099  - http://gut.bmj.com/content/34/3/299.short
4100  - http://gut.bmj.com/content/34/3/299.full
SO  - Gut1993 Mar 01; 34
AB  - In a search for past or present infection with herpes viruses, serum antibody titres to herpes simplex type 1 virus, cytomegalovirus, and varicella-zoster virus were measured by complement fixation test in 58 patients with achalasia. Serum was also taken from 40 age and sex matched patients without oesophageal symptoms who formed a control group. All titres were low, and those for herpes simplex type 1 virus and cytomegalovirus did not differ in the achalasia patients and the controls. However, the incidence of varicella-zoster virus antibodies was significantly greater in the achalasia than in the control group (p < 0.05). Using oesophageal tissue containing myenteric plexus removed at the time of cardiomyotomy in nine patients with achalasia, in situ DNA hybridisation showed evidence of varicella-zoster virus in three, but all were negative for the other two viruses. No positive results were obtained for herpes simplex type 1 virus, cytomegalovirus, or varicella-zoster virus in oesophageal tissue from 20 patients undergoing oesophageal resection for diseases other than achalasia. The incidence of positivity for varicella-zoster virus was significantly increased in the achalasia group compared with the controls (p < 0.02). The findings indicate that varicella-zoster virus DNA may persist in the oesophageal myenteric plexus in some patients with achalasia and raise the possibility that this virus is of aetiological importance in achalasia.