Electron microscopic observations on the virus particles in Herpes simplex encephalitis

Herpes oesophagitis. II. Electron microscopical findings

Ultra-thin sections obtained from routine biopsy specimens and cytological smears of 3 cases, together with one autopsy case suggestive of herpes oesophagitis, clearly demonstrate herpes viruses. The infected epithelial cells reveal different stages of virus replication and propagation. Cowdry A type inclusion bodies, however, representing early alterations in the course of infection are less frequent. Ground-glass looking nuclei of light microscopical balloon cells and infected multinuclear giant cells of epithelial origin are characteristic changes of the late ulcerative stage of herpes oesophagitis usually seen at the time of detection. These typical virus induced cell changes are mostly to be found at the ulcers edge.

Diagnostic virology using electron microscopic techniques

This chapter illustrates the development of the use of electron microscopy in viral diagnosis. The field covered is confined to medical viral diagnosis, but parallel developments have taken place in both veterinary and botanical fields and techniques derived from both these sources are also included where relevant. It is reported that the scanning transmission mode of operation, which can induce image contrast changes electronically, may enhance studies with unstained sections and perhaps facilitate thin section immune electron microscopy (IEM). The application of negative stain IEM has been particularly useful for the study of the antigenic nature of some of the newly discovered noncultivable viruses. Viral antigens can also be detected in thin sections of infected cells by IEM with suitably labeled specific antibodies. Confirmation of viral infection by electron microscopy on tissues originally processed for light microscopy is also frequently useful.

Infection of cultivated CNS tissue with herpes virus, HSVII. A reappraisal

Organized cultures of newborn rat and hamster cerebellum were infected with herpes virus type II, after 7 and 14 days "in vitro". 48 h after the infection, electron microscopic examination of the cultures showed that astrocytes contained numerous intranuclear and intracytoplasmic viral particles, while neurons remained apparently intact. The specificity of the infection for a given cell type is discussed.