title: Detection of herpes simplex virus in genital specimens by type-specific polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Viral isolation is the standard method for the detection of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) in clinical specimens. This study describes the development of a type-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection and typing of HSV-1 and HSV-2, and a comparison of its sensitivity with that of isolation in a clinical setting. Specimens from patients presenting with genital ulcers were tested for the presence of HSV by both methods. Oligonucleotide primers were selected to enable type-specific amplification of HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA. Conditions were optimized to allow detection and typing from a single reaction tube using a multi-primer PCR method. When compared with PCR, the sensitivity of isolation was 67% and the specificity 97%. This protocol allowed rapid, sensitive and accurate detection and typing of HSV with a single PCR assay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Monash Medical School, Prahran, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Waldhuber
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Denham
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wadey
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Leong-Shaw
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Cross
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005832:Genital Diseases, Male / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014709:Vero Cells