J Korean Soc Microbiol.  2000 Apr;35(2):191-201.

Detection and differentiation of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2, and Varicella-Zoster virus in vesicle fluid, joint fluid and serum using PCR method

• Park HK
• Woo SY
• Kim HJ
• Lee CH

Abstract

The viruses of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1), Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2) and Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) which belong to the alpha herpes subfamily are important human pathogens. When eruptions were not fully developed from these viral infections, clinical diagnosis was not always easy and required virological confirmation test. The above viruses were reactivated in individuals who were compromised in immune competence for one reason or another. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enables rapid and sensitive detection of HSV and VZV DNAs. Its sensitivity was largely influenced by choice of primers. Authors conducted a study to detect of those three viruses in human specimens including vesicle fluid and joint fluid and serum using PCR methods. Primers used for this study were the general primer pair GPHV-RU which was known to amplify within the genes enjoying the highest degree of homology between UL15 of HSV and UL42 of VZV. PCR with primers hybridized pair GPHV-RU amplifies a 396 bp with HSV-1 and HSV-2 standard stain DNA and 405 bp with VZV standard strain DNA. Restriction enzyme cleavage with HpaII and DdeI were used to detect and distinguish DNAs of HSV-1 and HSV-2 and VZV. The purpose of this study was a rapid and easy detection of VZV and HSV-1 or HSV-2 from various clinical specimens (vesicle fluid, serum and joint fluid) by PCR method. Used methods were: HSV PCR with primer 1, 2 and HpaII RE digestion; VZV nested PCR; HSV PCR with primer A, B and BssHII RE digestion. 1) In 33 cases (33/42, 78.6%) VZV was detected single or mixed infection from 42 clinical specimens which included vesicle fluid (5), serum from respiratory infected children (10), serum from immune suppressed adult cancer patients (7) and joint fluid from arthritis patients (20). 2) In 20 cases (20/42, 42.6%) HSV was detected singly or mixed infection and 19 of the cases were HSV-2 and 1 case was HSV-1. 3) In 19 cases (19/42, 45.2%) VZV was singly detected which included serum from respiratory infected children (6 cases), joint fluid from arthritis patients (9 cases), vesicle fluid (2 cases) and serum form immunosuppressed cancer patients (2 cases). 4) HSV was singly detected in 6 cases (6/42, 14.3%) which included joint fluid from arthritis patients (5 cases) and serum form respiratory infected children (1 cases). 5) 14 cases of VZV and HSV mixed infection (14/42, 33.3%) were detected. They included vesicle fluid (3 cases), serum form immunosuppressed cancer patients (4 cases), serum from respiratory infected children (2 cases) and joint fluid from arthritis patients (5 cases). 6) HSV-1 and HSV-2 detection and typing by HSV PCR with primer A, B and BssHII RE digestion method was more sensitive and the results were easier to detect than on other method.

MeSH Terms

Adult
Arthritis
Child
Coinfection
Diagnosis
Digestion
DNA
Herpes Simplex*
Herpesvirus 1, Human*
Herpesvirus 2, Human
Herpesvirus 3, Human*
Humans
Joints*
Mental Competency
Polymerase Chain Reaction*
Simplexvirus*
DNA