title: Comparison of two methods in the determination of the sensitivity of 84 herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and 2 clinical isolates to acyclovir and alpha-interferon.
abstract: Two methods, the colorimetric method (neutral red dye uptake), and DNA hybridization using a HSV thymidine kinase gene probe (TK) have been used to examine the sensitivity of 84 herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 and 2 clinical isolates to two antiviral drugs, acyclovir (ACV) and alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN). Using the colorimetric method, HSV isolates had ED50s ranging from 0.03 +/- 0.02 micrograms/ml to 0.164 +/- 0.03 micrograms/ml for ACV and 6.3 +/- 5.2 IU/ml to 55.0 +/- 11.4 IU/ml for alpha-IFN. With the DNA hybridization method, ED50s ranged from 0.033 +/- 0.012 micrograms/ml to 0.190 +/- 0.031 micrograms/ml for ACV and 8.5 +/- 5.0 IU/ml to 43.5 +/- 6.0 IU/ml for alpha-IFN. Two strains of HSV-1 were found to be resistant to very high concentrations of ACV (greater than 50.0 micrograms/ml). The values obtained by the two methods showed good correlation (r = 0.724, P = 0.002). Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the two methods are reproducible, reliable and the dye uptake assay is suitable for use in a diagnostic virology laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Virology Laboratory, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Brisebois
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Dumas
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Joncas
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003124:Colorimetry; D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009499:Neutral Red; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007370:Interferon Type I; D009499:Neutral Red; D000212:Acyclovir