title: Usefulness of Herpes Consensus PCR methodology to routine diagnostic testing for herpesviruses infections in clinical specimens.
abstract: The purposes of the study were to assess the usefulness of simultaneously amplifying herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus 6 DNA in various clinical specimens and to analyze clinical events in patients presenting positive results. A total of 763 clinical samples obtained from 758 patients, including 115 cerebrospinal fluids, 102 aqueous fluids, 445 swabs from genital (152), oro-facial (138) and other (155) skin lesions, 96 eye swabs and 5 bronchoalveolar lavages, were tested by using the Consensus polymerase chain reaction methodology. The clinical files of the patients were consulted retrospectively. 171 of the 758 patients (22.5%) were positive for at least one of the six target viruses: herpes simplex virus 1 (n = 95), varicella-zoster virus (n = 40), herpes simplex virus 2 (n = 21), herpes simplex virus 1 plus herpes simplex virus 2 (n = 8), cytomegalovirus (n = 4), Epstein-Barr virus (n = 1), human herpesvirus 6 (n = 1), and herpes simplex virus 1 plus human herpesvirus 6 (n = 1). The Consensus methodology enabled the rapid and accurate detection of herpesviruses in various clinical specimens and provided a reliable tool in the diagnosis of herpetic infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece. gvrioni@med.uoa.gr
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vrioni
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalogeropoulos
authors.forename: Constantina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gartzonika
authors.forename: Efthalia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Priavali
authors.forename: Stamatina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levidiotou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D012634:Bodily Secretions / Q000821:virology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012867:Skin / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral