DETECTION AND DIRECT TYPING OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS IN PERIANAL ULCERS OF PATIENTS WITH AIDS BY PCR

The presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 in peria nal ulcerations of 41 AIDS patients was assessed by virus culture and a type-specific PCR-based assay. HSV was isolated from the lesion site in 24 of 41 (58.5%) patients, and HSV DNA was detected by PCR in all 24 (100%) of these specimens. Additionally, PCR was used to detect HSV DNA in ii of 17 (70.5%) HSV culture-negative samples. Thus, HSV genom ic sequences could be demonstrated in 36 of 41 (87.8%) perianal ulcers in this series. Full agreement in HSV typing by either immunodot assa y or PCR was seen in 24 samples that were positive by both virus cultu re and PCR. HSV-2 was demonstrated in 35 of 36 (97.2%) HSV-positive sa mples.