title: Evaluating the performance of the focus HerpeSelect® HSV-2 IgG in veterans with chronic hepatitis C infection.
abstract: Epidemiologic links between chronic hepatitis C and herpes simplex type-2 infection have been suggested; however, type-specific tests for HSV-2 infection have not been validated in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. The Focus HerpeSelect(®) HSV-2 IgG (Cypress, California) assay and the Biokit HSV-2 rapid assay (Biokit USA, Lexington, MA) were performed on serum samples obtained from 84 veterans with chronic hepatitis C who demonstrated a previously positive HSV-2 serologic test in their medical records. Using the Biokit HSV-2 as the comparator assay, the positive predictive value, and specificity for the HerpeSelect(®) HSV-2 assay were 62.1% (95%CI: 49.3-73.8) and 41.9% (95%CI: 27.0-57.9), respectively. Increasing the HerpeSelect(®) HSV-2 index value defining a positive test result from >1.1 to ≥2.89 increased the assay's specificity to 97.7% (95%CI: 87.7-99.6) and the positive predictive value to 94.1%(95%CI: 71.2-99.0). J. Med. Virol. 9999: 1-5, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. In veterans with chronic hepatitis C infection, HerpeSelect(®) HSV-2 index values between 1.1 and 2.89 should be confirmed with an alternate test for HSV-2 infection.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.|Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
authors.forename: MaryJane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Van Wagoner
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.|Center of Biostatistics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sunesara
authors.affiliation: Center of Biostatistics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Penman
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.|Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Swiatlo
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Edward W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Hook
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: hepatitis C; human herpesvirus 2; predictive value of tests; viral antibodies