title: HSV antigens and HSV DNA in avascular and vascularized lesions of human herpes simplex keratitis.
abstract: Fifty-one corneal buttons obtained by penetrating keratoplasty from patients with a preoperative clinical diagnosis of nonulcerative herpetic keratitis and/or disciform stromal scarring (44) as well as ulcerative necrotizing stromal keratitis (7) were processed for herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigens using an immunoperoxidase technique and for HSV DNA by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HSV antigens were detected significantly more often (p less than 0.025) in specimens with avascular nonulcerative keratitis than in those with vascularization. In contrast to HSV antigens, HSV DNA was identified at equal proportions in avascular and vascularized lesions. Both HSV antigens and HSV DNA were detected in all specimens from patients with ulcerative necrotizing stromal keratitis. The implications of these findings with regard to possible mechanisms underlying herpetic keratitis in man are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Holbach
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Font
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baehr
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pittler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000276:immunology*; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes