title: Detection of varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus by the polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers.
abstract: Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) are human pathogens of significance involved in multiple diseases with either typical or atypical clinical features. In neonates and immunocompromised patients these alphaherpesviruses may cause life-threatening diseases such as encephalitis. Detection of VZV by virus culture is difficult. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is quicker and more sensitive and applicable in most clinical microbiological laboratories. Using degenerate primers, glycoprotein B (gB) DNA was amplified from all alphaherpesvirus field strains present in clinical samples. The amplification of gB allowed virus typing of VZV, HSV-1 and HSV-2 using restriction enzyme digestion of the PCR products. Degenerate primers can replace conventional primers in diagnostic PCR without loss of sensitivity and specificity.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-DLO), Lelystad, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Folkers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vreeswijk
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014773:Virology / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C090198:glycoprotein B, varicella-zoster virus