The detection of HEV-6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients: virus isolation and gene amplification

eripheral blood samples from patients with exanthem subitum and lymphoproliferative dis-orders were collected.Mononuclear cells were separated from patients blood and were cultured invitro.As a result,virus strains were isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclaear cells of sevenpatients with exanthem subitum and two patients with lymphoproliferative disorders.The isolatescould propagate in the PHA stimulated umbillical cord blood mononucalear cells and the cytopathiceffects characterized by large ballonlike cells were observed after infection Electronmicroscopy ofinfected cells ultrathin section showed the size of enveloped virus particles is 180 nm in diameterand the particles morphologically resemble herpesgroup virus.Serological test further demonstrated that the isolates lacked immunological cross-reactivity with HSV-1 and 2. HCMV and EBV,butwere shown to be antigenically related to HHV-6 GS strain; HHV-6 specific DNAs were detectedin all the isolate by polymerase chain reaction.