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Human herpesvirus-6: Epidemiology, molecular biology, and clinical pathology. Perspectives in medical virology, volume 4
V irus Research
vines Research, 29 (1993) 211-212 0 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 016%1702/93/$06.00
VIRUS
00915
Book Review Human Herpesvirus-6: Epidemiology, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Pathology. Perspectives in Medical Virology, Volume 4. Edited by D.V. Ablashi, G.R.F.
Krueger, and S.Z. Salahuddin, 1992, Elsevier, Amsterdam, ISBN: O-444-814159. Price: $194.50 US; Dfl. 340.00.
The Netherlands,
A Virus Comes of Age
By what criteria is a virus deemed ‘important’? When it is discovered, found to have a seroprevalence over 90%, or identified as the etiologic agent of a common disease? When there are solid indications of its role in other clinical entities, and interesting and unique genetic and biologic properties are identified? Perhaps when it becomes the subject of international scientific meetings, a book is written about it, or research on it is encouraged by granting agencies? Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) meets all these criteria except the last. Only a small fraction of the published literature about this recently discovered pathogen is the product of HHVd-specific extramural funding from granting agencies in the United States. This book should help open some eyes to the clinical and scientific relevance of this virus. The objective of the editors of Human Herpesvirus-6: Epidemiology, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Pathology was to provide an up-to-date overview of a broad spectrum of work on HHV-6. They have succeeded admirably, and the book would be a worthwhile addition to the collections of medical libraries and specialists in the field. The overall quality of the production is high, particularly the reproduction of autoradiogranis, micrographs (some in color), and electron micrographs. The book consists of two sections, one concentrating on the basic virology of HHV-6, and the other focusing on clinical aspects of the virus. The basic virology section includes an interesting account by Salahuddin of the discovery of the virus, several chapters on in vitro growth properties, and chapters on the epidemiology, ultrastructure, molecular biology, and proteins of the virus. The chapter on target cells by Lusso is particularly thoughtful and well-written, and the molecular biology chapter provides nicely balanced coverage of the subject. The clinical pathology section includes chapters on the role, or possible role, of the virus in diseases such as exanthem subitum, mononucleosis, lymphoproliferative disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infections, and complications of bone marrow transplantation. A positive feature common to these chapters is their clear and concise overviews of the subject disease. Another chapter describes the response of the virus to antivirals and clearly delineates the limitations of our current knowledge.
212
Chapter authors were given considerable latitude with regard to subject material and the use of their own unpublished data. This resulted in some overlap of material and a few contradictions. For example, two chapters describe the inability of the virus to grow in fibroblasts and to transform cells after infection, while another chapter describes precisely the opposite. Furthermore, much of the previously unpublished data cannot be evaluated rigorously because of insufficient supporting information, e.g., materials and methods. The inclusion of the fresh and sometimes contradictory information has the virtue of increasing the timeliness of the book and may spur further research; the reader must simply exercise caution in drawing conclusions from preliminary findings. Philip E. Pellett
vines Research, 29 (1993) 211-212 0 1993 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 016%1702/93/$06.00
VIRUS
00915
Book Review Human Herpesvirus-6: Epidemiology, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Pathology. Perspectives in Medical Virology, Volume 4. Edited by D.V. Ablashi, G.R.F.
Krueger, and S.Z. Salahuddin, 1992, Elsevier, Amsterdam, ISBN: O-444-814159. Price: $194.50 US; Dfl. 340.00.
The Netherlands,
A Virus Comes of Age
By what criteria is a virus deemed ‘important’? When it is discovered, found to have a seroprevalence over 90%, or identified as the etiologic agent of a common disease? When there are solid indications of its role in other clinical entities, and interesting and unique genetic and biologic properties are identified? Perhaps when it becomes the subject of international scientific meetings, a book is written about it, or research on it is encouraged by granting agencies? Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) meets all these criteria except the last. Only a small fraction of the published literature about this recently discovered pathogen is the product of HHVd-specific extramural funding from granting agencies in the United States. This book should help open some eyes to the clinical and scientific relevance of this virus. The objective of the editors of Human Herpesvirus-6: Epidemiology, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Pathology was to provide an up-to-date overview of a broad spectrum of work on HHV-6. They have succeeded admirably, and the book would be a worthwhile addition to the collections of medical libraries and specialists in the field. The overall quality of the production is high, particularly the reproduction of autoradiogranis, micrographs (some in color), and electron micrographs. The book consists of two sections, one concentrating on the basic virology of HHV-6, and the other focusing on clinical aspects of the virus. The basic virology section includes an interesting account by Salahuddin of the discovery of the virus, several chapters on in vitro growth properties, and chapters on the epidemiology, ultrastructure, molecular biology, and proteins of the virus. The chapter on target cells by Lusso is particularly thoughtful and well-written, and the molecular biology chapter provides nicely balanced coverage of the subject. The clinical pathology section includes chapters on the role, or possible role, of the virus in diseases such as exanthem subitum, mononucleosis, lymphoproliferative disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infections, and complications of bone marrow transplantation. A positive feature common to these chapters is their clear and concise overviews of the subject disease. Another chapter describes the response of the virus to antivirals and clearly delineates the limitations of our current knowledge.
212
Chapter authors were given considerable latitude with regard to subject material and the use of their own unpublished data. This resulted in some overlap of material and a few contradictions. For example, two chapters describe the inability of the virus to grow in fibroblasts and to transform cells after infection, while another chapter describes precisely the opposite. Furthermore, much of the previously unpublished data cannot be evaluated rigorously because of insufficient supporting information, e.g., materials and methods. The inclusion of the fresh and sometimes contradictory information has the virtue of increasing the timeliness of the book and may spur further research; the reader must simply exercise caution in drawing conclusions from preliminary findings. Philip E. Pellett