The use of herpes virus induced dTk as a marker for serological and direct identification of herpes virus infection in man.
This report summarizes the essential features of a sensitive deoxythymidine kinase (dTk) assay, which can be used for the diagnosis of Herpes virus infections. A type specific antibody response towards the different Herpes virus dTk isozymes, the Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1, type 2, and Varicella Zoster virus (VZV), was found in human sera. The occurrence of dTk antibody in relation to complement fixing (cf) antibody and the state of infection, was found to differ between HSV and VZV. The VZV dTk antibody was only found in patients with Herpes Zoster, while most HSV cf positive individuals had HSV dTk antibody. Absence of dTk in HSV cf positive individuals was related to a "recent primary infection". The type specificity of the dTk isozymes makes these antigens suitable for typing of isolates, and this in combination with the sensitivity of the assay, made it possible to verify and type HSV infection by direct analysis of blister secrete without previous virus isolation. Such results can be obtained within five hours. Combined with conventional isolation procedures the dTk typing assay also detects dTk negative "therapy resistant" strains. The use of the dTk assay for diagnostic purposes is discussed.
D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000201:enzymology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000201:enzymology; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies; D013937:Thymidine Kinase