Varicella-zoster virus DNA in cells isolated from human trigeminal ganglia.

To determine the type of cell(s) that contain latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) DNA, we prepared pure populations of neurons and satellite cells from trigeminal ganglia of 18 humans who had previously had a VZV infection. VZV DNA was present in 34 of 2,226 neurons (1.5%) and in none of 20,700 satellite cells. There was an average of 4.7 (range of 2 to 9) copies of VZV DNA per latently infected neuron. Latent VZV DNA was primarily present in large neurons, whereas the size distribution of herpes simplex virus DNA was markedly different.