Temporal lobe epilepsy associated with human herpes virus 6

Abstract Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) is a ubiquitous and most common pathogen that affects humans. 6B (HHV-6B) wide spread human herpesvirus infects people when they are children, establishes latent infections in the central nervous system (CNS), especially hippocampus amygdala, induces neurologic diseases. HHV-6 can establish infection be reactivated by various stimuli. Recently, viral genomic DNA of HHV-6B has been detected surgically removed brain tissues intractable epilepsy patients, suggesting involvement pathogenesis epilepsy. Temporal lobe (TLE) shown to closely related with HHV-6B. TLE patients their brains suffer from reiterative attacks febrile seizures hippocampal sclerosis. However, mechanisms underlying contribution this development remains unknown. The direct damage immune activation caused involved process neuron damage, abnormal neural circuit formation glial cell proliferation. In addition, some cytokines like interleukin-17A (IL-17A), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κb), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phospholipase A2 up-regulated pathological TLE. More studies needed clarify link between epilepsy, identify biomarkers recognize different patient groups for anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapies.