{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T12:32:52Z","timestamp":1784637172448,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Gut"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1993,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>In a search for past or present infection with herpes viruses, serum antibody titres to herpes simplex type 1 virus, cytomegalovirus, and varicella-zoster virus were measured by complement fixation test in 58 patients with achalasia. Serum was also taken from 40 age and sex matched patients without oesophageal symptoms who formed a control group. All titres were low, and those for herpes simplex type 1 virus and cytomegalovirus did not differ in the achalasia patients and the controls. However, the incidence of varicella-zoster virus antibodies was significantly greater in the achalasia than in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Using oesophageal tissue containing myenteric plexus removed at the time of cardiomyotomy in nine patients with achalasia, in situ DNA hybridisation showed evidence of varicella-zoster virus in three, but all were negative for the other two viruses. No positive results were obtained for herpes simplex type 1 virus, cytomegalovirus, or varicella-zoster virus in oesophageal tissue from 20 patients undergoing oesophageal resection for diseases other than achalasia. The incidence of positivity for varicella-zoster virus was significantly increased in the achalasia group compared with the controls (p &lt; 0.02). The findings indicate that varicella-zoster virus DNA may persist in the oesophageal myenteric plexus in some patients with achalasia and raise the possibility that this virus is of aetiological importance in achalasia.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/gut.34.3.299","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,9,18]],"date-time":"2007-09-18T17:41:31Z","timestamp":1190137291000},"page":"299-302","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":158,"title":["Varicella-zoster virus DNA in the oesophageal myenteric plexus in achalasia."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"34","author":[{"given":"C S","family":"Robertson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"B A","family":"Martin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M","family":"Atkinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1993,3,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"474","DOI":"10.1097\/00000658-196409000-00010","article-title":"Achalasia of the esophagus: pathologic and etiologic considerations","volume":"160","author":"Casella, R.R.; AL, Jr, Brown; Sayre, G.P.; FH, Jr, Ellis","year":"1964","unstructured":"Casella RR, Brown AL Jr, Sayre GP, Ellis FH Jr. Achalasia of the esophagus: pathologic and etiologic considerations. 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Arch Pathol 1940; 30: 292-307.","journal-title":"Arch Pathol"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"26","DOI":"10.1016\/S0016-5107(84)72290-5","article-title":"Shingles esophagitis - endoscopic diagnosis in two patients","volume":"30","author":"Gill, R.A.; Gebhard, R.L.; Dozeman, R.L.; Sumner, H.W.","year":"1984","unstructured":"Gill RA, Gebhard RL, Dozeman RL, Sumner HW. Shingles esophagitis - endoscopic diagnosis in two patients. Gastrointest Endosc 1984; 30: 26-7.","journal-title":"Gastrointest Endosc"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01489322","article-title":"A syndrome of acute self limiting ulcerative esophagitis in young adults probably due to herpes simplex virus","volume":"24","author":"Springer, D.J.; Da Costa, L.R.; Beck, I.T.","year":"1979","unstructured":"Springer DJ, Da Costa LR, Beck IT. A syndrome of acute self limiting ulcerative esophagitis in young adults probably due to herpes simplex virus. 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J Clin Pathol 1987; 40: 163-6.","journal-title":"J Clin Pathol"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1084\/jem.99.2.167","article-title":"Plaque formation and isolation of pure lines with poliomyelitis viruses","volume":"99","author":"Dulbecco, R.; Vogt, M.","year":"1954","unstructured":"Dulbecco R, Vogt M. Plaque formation and isolation of pure lines with poliomyelitis viruses. i Exp Med 1954; 99: 167-82.","journal-title":"i Exp Med"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1016\/0042-6822(83)90460-9","article-title":"Detection ofviral genomes in cultured cells and paraffin embedded tissue sections using Biotin-labelled hybridisation probes","volume":"126","author":"Brigati, D.J.; Myerson, D.; Leary, J.J.; Spazholz, B.; Travis, S.Z.; Fong, C.K.Y.","year":"1983","unstructured":"Brigati DJ, Myerson D, Leary JJ, Spazholz B, Travis SZ, Fong CKY, et al. 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