DETECTION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES BY AN ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY BASED ON GLYCOPROTEIN-G

In order to develop a simple and quantitative method to detect herpes simplex virus (HSV) type-specific antibodies, the usefulness of an enz yme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using HSV glycoprotein G (gG) c aptured on a plate by monoclonal antibodies as antigen was studied. Th e gG1- and gG2-specific IgG antibody activities were measured by the E LISA for 54 sera which had been collected from culture-proven genital herpes patients and pre-characterized by an immunodot assay using puri fied gG antigens. Thirty control sera without antibodies against the H SV whole antigens were also included. In comparison with the immunodot assay as standard, the sensitivities of the ELISA were 88.9% (32/36) for HSV-1 antibody and 89.2% (33/37) for HSV-2 antibody and the specif icities were both 100%. Sera taken within a few months after primary i nfection tended to give false negative results. The HSV type-specific ELISA based on easy-to-prepare gG antigens might be useful to help imp rove the serological assessment of HSV infections. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss , Inc.