title: Evaluation of an enzyme immunoassay system for measuring herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1-specific and HSV type 2-specific IgG antibodies.
abstract: MRL Diagnostics has developed a dual enzyme immunoassay (EIA) system that employs the recombinant Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) type-specific glycoproteins G1 (HSV1) and G2 (HSV2) to detect HSV type-specific IgG antibodies. This system was evaluated using 155 consecutive sera previously tested in a conventional dual EIA system (Zeus) that employs multiple HSV1 and HSV2 proteins to detect type-common as well as type-specific antibodies. Sera were also analyzed by Western blot to determine the true HSV type-specific IgG reactivity pattern. Of 110 sera giving concordant reactivity patterns in the MRL and Zeus EIA systems, 108 (98%) also displayed concordant Western blot patterns; two sera gave false positive HSV2 reactivity in both EIA systems. Of 45 sera giving discordant MRL and Zeus EIA reactivity patterns, 41 (91%) displayed a Western blot reactivity pattern that matched the MRL reactivity pattern. Both the HSV1 IgG component and the HSV2 IgG component of the MRL EIA system were 100% sensitive and > 95% specific. In contrast, the Zeus HSV1 IgG EIA was 98% sensitive and 79% specific, and the Zeus HSV2 IgG EIA was 85% sensitive and 79% specific. An analysis of the distribution of index values in the MRL EIA system showed that low-positive values (1.0-3.0) were rare, but, when detected, often represented false positive results; only 11 MRL low-positive results were observed, but all 6 MRL false positive results were found within this low-positive subgroup. These findings show that the MRL dual EIA system effectively detects HSV type-specific IgG antibodies.
authors.affiliation: MRL Reference Laboratory, Cypress, California 90630, USA. hprince@mrlinfo.com
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Hogrefe
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic