High-risk Allele for Herpes Labialis Severity at the IFNL3/4 Locus is Associated With Vestibular Neuritis.

Vestibular neuritis (VN) is a peripheral vestibular disorder leading to a sudden loss of unilateral vestibular function. Although the underlying etiological mechanisms for disease development are not yet known, there is evidence that a latent infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) might be involved. The polymorphism rs12979860 has been associated with the severity of recurrent herpes labialis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance and treatment outcome and is located within the first intron of the IFNL4 gene on chromosome 19.

Genome-Wide Association Study in Vestibular Neuritis: Involvement of the Host Factor for HSV-1 Replication.

In order to identify genetic variants associated with vestibular neuritis, a common cause of peripheral vertigo with a potential causative link to the reactivation of herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), we conducted a genome-wide association study. Association was assessed using approximately 8 million variants. 131 patients with vestibular neuritis and 2,609 controls of European ancestry were included.