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  • Title: Achalasia: virus-induced euthanasia of neurons?
    Author: Boeckxstaens GE.
    Journal: Am J Gastroenterol; 2008 Jul; 103(7):1610-2. PubMed ID: 18557706.
    Abstract:
    Achalasia, a motor disorder of the esophagus, is characterized by myenteric plexitis leading to neuronal loss. Cytotoxic T cells, isolated from the lower esophageal sphincter of achalasia patients, respond to human herpes virus-1 (HSV-1) with gamma-IFN (and to a lesser extent IL-2) production and clonal proliferation. In addition, HSV-1 DNA was demonstrated in the vast majority of patients, but also in controls. These exciting data suggest that achalasia is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease in which a (latent) infection with HSV-1 leads to persistent immune activation and self-destruction of esophageal neurons, most likely in genetic susceptible subjects only.
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