RESTRICTION ENZYME FRAGMENT LENGTH POLYMORPHISMS OF AMPLIFIED HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-1 DNA PROVIDE EPIDEMIOLOGIC INFORMATION

Human herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) DNA of isolates from patients in a large teaching hospital was amplified by the polymerase chain reactio n (PCR). The PCR products targeted approximately 2100 nt regions of re latively low G + C content. Comparison of restriction enzyme digests o f amplified DNA showed variation useful for strain differentiation. Tw elve nonrelated HSV-1 were differentiated from one another. In contras t, specimens epidemiologically related in an outbreak were indistingui shable from each other. Restriction endonuclease analysis of amplified HSV-1 sequences appears to be useful for molecular epidemiology and l aboratory quality control to detect possible contamination by PCR prod ucts.