title: Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for detection of herpes simplex virus type 1, type 2, cytomegalovirus, and varicella-zoster virus in ocular viral infections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect simultaneously herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in ocular specimens suspected of indicating viral infection, and to compare the results of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with those of uniplex PCR.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty specimens, collected from 33 patients with clinically suspected herpes virus ocular infection, were tested. DNA was extracted from the specimens and amplified by multiplex and uniplex PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both multiplex PCR and uniplex PCR gave the same results. Nineteen (19/33, 57.6%) patients were PCR-positive, among whom HSV-1 was detected in 13 (13/19, 68.4%) patients, and VZV in 6 (6/19, 31.6%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrated that multiplex PCR is as reliable as uniplex PCR, and is an accurate and a cost-saving method to identify several agents from a single specimen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tairo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiki
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000821:virology; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral