title: Detection of herpes simplex virus in clinical specimens by DNA hybridization.
abstract: An assay to detect herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA in clinical specimens has been developed. It utilizes nucleic acid hybridization with a 32P-labeled DNA probe prepared from a fragment of HSV DNA cloned in a plasmid vector. This assay can detect 5 X 10(4) plaque-forming units of cell-free HSV and as few as four virus-infected cells. The assay has a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 100% compared to virus culture for the detection of HSV in swab specimens from genital lesions. No hybridization is observed with uninfected, varicella-zoster virus infected, or cytomegalovirus infected cells, and specimens from herpes zoster lesions are uniformly negative. While hybridization with a 32P-labeled probe is not optimally suited for routine diagnostic use, this report establishes the feasibility of using nucleic acid hybridization to detect HSV in clinical specimens.
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010957:Plasmids; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral