title: [Diagnosis of meningoencephalitis caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 using nested PCR in CSF samples].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to achieve the early diagnosis of the neurologic alteration caused by the Herpes Simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) with the nested PCR technique in CSF.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January, 1994 to October, 1995, 140 CSF from 140 patients were studied in our laboratory. Ninety-five were diagnosed with viral meningoencephalitis (Group A) and 45 with other neurologic diseases (Group B). Nested PCR of HSV-1 and conventional viral cultures were carried out in all the cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Laboratory diagnosis was achieved in 13 (13.68%) of Group A patients: in 12 (12.63%) HSV-1 genome was detected by nested PCR and in one patient adenovirus was isolated. In Group B, the HSV-1 was detected by nested PCR in 2 patients (4.44%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained demonstrate the usefulness of nested PCR in HSV-1 infection for the diagnosis of herpetic meningoencephalitis in initial stages of the disease, from a single CSF sample.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Virología, Hospital Central de Asturias, Oviedo.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cimadevilla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melón
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Oña
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viejo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
vernacular_title: Diagnóstico de meningoencefalitis por virus herpes simple tipo 1 mediante PCR anidada en muestras de LCR.