{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T01:40:35Z","timestamp":1785894035783,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"6718","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]],"date-time":"1990-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":632793600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/www.bmj.com\/company\/legal-information\/terms-conditions\/legal-information\/tdm-licencepolicy"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMJ"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>OBJECTIVE--To identify clinical consequences of acute human herpesvirus type 6 infection by hypothesising that the virus will induce similar clinical syndromes to cytomegalovirus. DESIGN--Examination of consecutive serum samples from patients with illnesses compatible with acute cytomegalovirus infection or exanthem subitum by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of antibodies to human herpesvirus type 6. An IgG absorption step was included to avoid false positive and negative results for IgM. The criterion standard for diagnosis of human herpesvirus type 6 infection was the presence of IgM human herpesvirus type 6 antibody (titre greater than 20) and a rising titre of IgG human herpesvirus type 6 antibody without serological evidence of alternative infection. SETTING--Routine viral diagnostic and reference laboratory in the largest teaching hospital in Sydney. PATIENTS--341 Consecutive serum samples were analysed from patients with hepatitis (147 samples); infectious mononucleosis-like illness (106); screens for toxoplasma, other viruses, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpesvirus (38); fever in an immunocompromised patient (eight); unusual neurological (nine) or haematological syndromes (14); splenomegaly (six); and rash in a child (13). RESULTS--Three cases of acute human herpesvirus type 6 infection were identified: in one patient aged 65 with a previous diagnosis of acute non-A non-B hepatitis, one aged 25 with a glandular fever-like illness, and one aged 6 with a glandular fever-like illness. All three illnesses resolved completely. 15 Further serum samples were positive for human herpesvirus type 6 antibody but were also diagnostic for acute infection with other viruses (cytomegalovirus (nine), Epstein-Barr virus (three), and HIV (one] or had a titre of IgM human herpesvirus type 6 antibody less than 20 (two). CONCLUSIONS--Acute human herpesvirus type 6 infection in immunocompetent patients may result in a mononucleosis-like illness or an acute but self limiting hepatitis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.300.6718.156","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2009,4,2]],"date-time":"2009-04-02T15:19:55Z","timestamp":1238685595000},"page":"156-159","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":52,"title":["Serological diagnosis of infection with human herpesvirus type 6."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"300","author":[{"given":"W L","family":"Irving","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A L","family":"Cunningham","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"390","article-title":"Isolation of human lymphotropic herpesviruses from Uganda","volume":"ii:","author":"Downing, R.G.; Sewankambo, N.; Serwadda, D.","year":"1987","unstructured":"Downing RG, Sewankambo N, Serwadda D, et al. Isolation of human lymphotropic herpesviruses from Uganda. Lancet 1987;ii:390.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"390","article-title":"A novel lymphotropic herpesvirus","volume":"ii:","author":"Tedder, R.S.; Briggs, M.; Cameron, C.H.; Honess, R.; Robertson, D.; Whittle, H.","year":"1987","unstructured":"Tedder RS, Briggs M, Cameron CH, Honess R, Robertson D, Whittle H. A novel lymphotropic herpesvirus. Lancet 1987;ii:390-2.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1058","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(88)91883-1","article-title":"Age prevalence of antibody to human herpesvirus 6","volume":"i:","author":"Briggs, M.; Fox, J.; Tedder, R.S.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Briggs M, Fox J, Tedder RS. Age prevalence of antibody to human herpesvirus 6. Lancet 1988;i: 1058-9.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1065","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(88)91893-4","article-title":"Identification of human herpesvirus6 as a causal agent for exanthem subitum","volume":"i:","author":"Yamanishi, K.; Shiraki, K.; Kondo, T.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Yamanishi K, Shiraki K, Kondo T, et al. Identification of human herpesvirus6 as a causal agent for exanthem subitum. Lancet 1988;i: 1065-7.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"933","article-title":"Ultrastructural characterisation of a new human B-lymphotropic DNA virus (human herpesvirus 6) isolated from patients with lvmphoproliferative disease","volume-title":"7NCI","volume":"79","author":"Biberfeld, P.; Kramarsky, B.; Salahuddin, S.Z.; Gallo, R.C.","year":"1987","unstructured":"Biberfeld P, Kramarsky B, Salahuddin SZ, Gallo RC. Ultrastructural characterisation of a new human B-lymphotropic DNA virus (human herpesvirus 6) isolated from patients with lvmphoproliferative disease. 7NCI 1987;79:933-41."},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"63","article-title":"DNA homology between a novel human herpesvirus (HHV-6) and human cytomegalovirus","volume":"i:","author":"Efstathiou, S.; Gompels, U.A.; Craxton, M.A.; Honess, R.W.; Ward, K.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Efstathiou S, Gompels UA, Craxton MA, Honess RW, Ward K. DNA homology between a novel human herpesvirus (HHV-6) and human cytomegalovirus. Lancet 1988;i:63-4.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"952","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.27.5.952-958.1989","article-title":"The rapid diagnosis of acute EpsteinBarr virus infection by the development of an indirect ELISA for specific IgM antibody without rheumatoid factor and specific IgG interference","volume":"27","author":"Ho, D.W.T.; Field, P.R.; Cunningham, A.L.","year":"1989","unstructured":"Ho DWT, Field PR, Cunningham AL. The rapid diagnosis of acute EpsteinBarr virus infection by the development of an indirect ELISA for specific IgM antibody without rheumatoid factor and specific IgG interference. J Clin Microbhol 1989;27:952-8.","journal-title":"J Clin Microbhol"},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"628","article-title":"Epstein-Barr viral hepatitis: an unusual case and review of the literature","volume":"79","author":"Jacobson, I.M.; Gang, D.L.; Schapiro, R.H.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Jacobson IM, Gang DL, Schapiro RH. Epstein-Barr viral hepatitis: an unusual case and review of the literature. AnmJ Gastroenterol 1984;79:628-32.","journal-title":"AnmJ Gastroenterol"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(88)92783-3","article-title":"Clinical and serological features of human herpesvirus-6 infection in three adults","volume":"ii:","author":"Niederman, J.C.; Liu, C.R.; Kaplan, M.H.; Brown, N.A.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Niederman JC, Liu CR, Kaplan MH, Brown NA. Clinical and serological features of human herpesvirus-6 infection in three adults. Lancet 1988;ii: 817-9.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"273","article-title":"Seroconversion against human herpesvirus-6 (and other herpesviruses) and clinical illness","volume":"ii:","author":"Kirchesch, H.; Mertens, T.; Burkhardt, U.; Kruppenbacher, J.P.; Hoffken, A.; H1, Eggers","year":"1988","unstructured":"Kirchesch H, Mertens T, Burkhardt U, Kruppenbacher JP, Hoffken A, Eggers H1. Seroconversion against human herpesvirus-6 (and other herpesviruses) and clinical illness. Lancet 1988;ii:273-4.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"630","article-title":"Antibody to both human herpesvirus-6 and cytomegalovirus","volume":"ii:","author":"Irving, W.L.; Cunningham, A.L.; Keogh, A.; Chapman, JR","year":"1988","unstructured":"Irving WL, Cunningham AL, Keogh A, Chapman JR. Antibody to both human herpesvirus-6 and cytomegalovirus. Lancet 1988;ii:630-1.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"963","article-title":"Serological crossreaction of human herpesvirus-6 with cytomegalovirus","volume":"ii:","author":"Larcher, C.; Huemer, H.P.; Margreiter, R.; Dierich, M.P.","year":"1988","unstructured":"Larcher C, Huemer HP, Margreiter R, Dierich MP. Serological crossreaction of human herpesvirus-6 with cytomegalovirus. Lancet 1988;ii:963-4.","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.4049\/jimmunol.98.1.143","article-title":"Competition between, and effectiveness of, IgG and IgM antibodies in indirect fluorescent antibody and other tests","volume":"98","author":"Cohen, I.R.; Norins, L.C.; Julian, A.J.","year":"1967","unstructured":"Cohen IR, Norins LC, Julian AJ. Competition between, and effectiveness of, IgG and IgM antibodies in indirect fluorescent antibody and other tests. J Immunol 1967;98: 143-9.","journal-title":"J Immunol"}],"container-title":["BMJ"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/data.bmj.org\/tdm\/10.1136\/bmj.300.6718.156","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bmj.300.6718.156","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,11]],"date-time":"2025-12-11T21:26:56Z","timestamp":1765488416000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bmj.300.6718.156"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6718","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bmj.300.6718.156"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmj.300.6718.156","relation":{},"ISSN":["0959-8138","1468-5833"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0959-8138","type":"print"},{"value":"1468-5833","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[1990,1,20]]}}}