HSV-1 and HSV-2 in herpes simplex encephalitis: A study of sixty-four cases in the United Kingdom
✍ Scribed by Dennett, C.; Cleator, G. M.; Klapper, P. E.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 47 KB
- Volume
- 53
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0146-6615
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✦ Synopsis
The incidence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) was investigated using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from sixty-four cases of HSE. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) employing primers flanking a region of the HSV thymidine kinase gene common to both HSV-1 and HSV-2 was used to detect HSV in the CSF. HSV-1 and HSV-2 were differentiated by digestion with restriction enzymes. Two enzymes were employed; AvaI which cleaved only the HSV-2 gene product and AvaII which cleaved only the HSV-1 gene product. Sixty-three cases of HSE were found to be due to HSV-1; one case due to HSV-2. These data confirm previous observations that HSV-2 is a rare cause of post-neonatal herpes encephalitis but indicates that a PCR procedure capable of detection of both viruses is essential for efficient diagnosis of HSE.