title: An immunofluorescence test for diagnosis of ophthalmic herpes in a mouse corneal model.
abstract: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ophthalmic disease is the most common cause of corneal blindness in humans world-wide. Current culture techniques for HSV take several days and commercially available HSV laboratory based diagnostic techniques vary in sensitivity. Our study was conducted to evaluate the use of a quicker and simpler method to herpes ophthalmic diagnosis. Corneal smears were made by firm imprints of infected mouse eyes to glass slides, after smears were fixated with cold acetone, and an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) method was performed using monoclonal antibodies in a murine model of ophthalmic herpes. Eye swabs from infected mice were inoculated in Vero cells for virus isolation. Cytology and histology of the eye were also performed, using hematoxylin-eosin routine. Mouse eyes were examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy for evidence of herpetic disease at various times postinoculation. We made a comparative evaluation of sensitivity, specificity and speed of methods for laboratory detection of HSV. Our results indicate that this IIF method is quick, sensitive, specific and can be useful in the diagnosis of ophthalmic herpes as demonstrated in an animal model.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Departamento de Patologia e Serviço de Anatomia Patológica, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, RJ, Brazil. silviarfgp@uenf.br
authors.forename: Sílvia Regina Ferreira Gonçalves
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Fernando Portela
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Câmara
authors.forename: Maria Angélica Arpon Marandino
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vieira Neto
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Segenreich
authors.forename: Antônio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: da Costa Guimarães
authors.forename: Vera Lucia Antunes
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Chagas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral