title: Detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in human tear film by the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: We investigated the use of the polymerase chain reaction for detecting genomes of herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus from tear film of patients with clinically diagnosed herpes simplex virus keratitis. Using the polymerase chain reaction with a herpes simplex virus detection sensitivity adjusted to 1.0 plaque-forming units/ml, we detected herpes simplex virus genomic sequences in 12 of 12 epithelial keratitis specimens, two of six stromal keratitis specimens, but in none of 20 normal specimens. Neither varicella-zoster virus nor cytomegalovirus genomic sequences were detected in any sample. These results suggest that polymerase chain reaction quickly performed with reduced sensitivity is useful as a diagnostic tool for confirming clinical observations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tano
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013666:Tears / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral