Achalasia: Virus-Induced Euthanasia of Neurons

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.