Diagnosis of herpes encephalitis via Southern blotting of cerebrospinal fluid DNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction.
Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA extracted from lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and Southern blotting (SB) were evaluated as a method for the diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE). Positive PCR-SB results were obtained with CSF samples from 9 of 10 patients (11 of 12 CSF specimens) with proven herpes encephalitis as early as 2 days after onset of neurological illness. Our data support the suggestion that PCR techniques may provide a clinically relevant "non-invasive" method for the diagnosis of HSE.
Klapper
P E
PE
Department of Pathological Sciences, University of Manchester, England.
Cleator
G M
GM
Dennett
C
C
Lewis
A G
AG
D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D013937:Thymidine Kinase