title: Quantitation of herpes simplex DNA in blood during aciclovir therapy with competitive PCR ELISA.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Monitoring viral load in blood has already been introduced into clinical routine for human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to monitor the decline of herpes simplex (HSV) viral load in the blood of a patient with gingivostomatitis herpetica prior and during acyclovir therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis was done by quantitative PCR ELISA using an internal quantitation standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Copy numbers were 66/microl blood prior to therapy, 60 during oral medication with valaciclovir, 97 and 72 copies/microl blood during the first 2 days of intravenous acyclovir therapy, followed by a sharp decline to 8 and 9 copies on days 3 and 4. During the following days, HSV was no longer detectable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As this quantitative approach can be easily adjusted to any other PCR, it provides a reliable, easy-to-apply method for monitoring therapy, also during new antiviral clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bezold
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gottlöber
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Leiter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kerscher
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krähn
authors.forename: R U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Peter
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000212:Acyclovir