Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human herpes virus that causes varicella as a primary infection and herpes zoster following reactivation of the virus from a latent state in trigeminal and spinal ganglia. In order to study the global pattern of VZV gene transcription, VZV microarrays using 75-base oligomers to 71 VZV open reading frames (ORFs) were designed and validated. The long-oligonucleot...

Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is an important host defense mechanism against intracellular pathogens, such as viruses. Accordingly, viruses have evolved multiple mechanisms to modulate apoptosis to enhance replication. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) induces apoptosis in human fibroblasts and melanoma cells. We found that VZV triggered the phosphorylation of the proapoptotic proteins Bim and B...

Primary infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV) results in varicella (chickenpox) followed by the establishment of latency in sensory ganglia. Declining T cell immunity due to aging or immune suppressive treatments can lead to VZV reactivation and the development of herpes zoster (HZ, shingles). HZ is often associated with significant morbidity and occasionally mortality in elderly and immu...

Herpes zoster (HZ) strikes millions of older adults annually worldwide and disables a substantial number of them via postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Key age-related clinical, epidemiological, and treatment features of zoster and PHN are reviewed. HZ is caused by renewed replication and spread of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in sensory ganglia and afferent peripheral nerves in the setting of age-r...

On 16 and 17 November 2006, the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS) hosted a workshop on varicella-zoster virus (VZV) disease. The workshop was aimed at presenting the latest information on the clinical, epidemiological, and diagnostic aspects of both primary varicella (‘chickenpox’) and herpes zoster (HZ or ‘shingles’) both in Aust...

Autophagy has been intensively studied in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), a human alphaherpesvirus. The HSV-1 genome encodes a well-known neurovirulence protein called ICP34.5. When the gene encoding this protein is deleted from the genome, the virus is markedly less virulent when injected into the brains of animal models. Subsequent characterization of ICP34.5 established that the neurovi...

Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) is a human herpesvirus that causes varicella (chickenpox) as primary infection, and, following variable period of ganglionic latency in neurons, it reactivates to cause herpes zoster (shingles). An analysis VZV infection cultures neural cells, particular when these have been obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or consisting highly purified neuronal ...

Only a few cases of herpes zoster-associated arthritis have been reported to date (1-3). This form of arthritis is presumed to be viral in origin. Isolation of varicella zoster virus (VZV) by culture from synovial fluid has not been previously documented. VZV infection of the joint space associated with acute arthritis has been evidenced only once, by the finding of VZV antigen in the joint flu...

Varicella zoster virus glycoprotein I (VZV gpI; Mr 98,000) was phosphorylated in virus-infected human cell monolayers, while two other major VZV glycoproteins (gpII and gpIII) were not similarly modified. Phosphorylation of VZV gpI was not blocked by inhibitors of glycosylation, nor were the phosphoryl groups enzymatically removed by endoglycosidases. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed the pre...