DETECTION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-1 SHEDDING IN THE ORAL CAVITY BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AND ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY AT THE PRODROMAL STAGE OF RECRUDESCENT HERPES LABIALIS

Recrudescent herpes labialis (RHL) is a disease caused by herpes simpl ex virus (HSV), predominantly type 1 (HSV-1). We have monitored HSV-1 shedding in the oral cavity by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enz yme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using digoxigenin-labeled prim ers designed to amplify a 278 bp segment of the HSV-1 UL 42 region. Pr odromal RHL was confirmed by thermographic imaging in 22 patients. Inf ectious virus was not detected using tissue culture for virus isolatio n (0/22). Using PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis, we could detect H SV-1 DNA in 8/22 patients. Using a biotinylated-probe internal to the predicted sequence of the PCR product, HSV-1 DNA was detected in 10/22 of the patients by ELISA. We conclude that HSV-1 DNA is shed into the oral cavity of patients presenting with sub-clinical RHL and that the PCR-ELISA technique represents a more sensitive method to monitor HSV -1 shedding than conventional tissue culturing or PCR-electrophoresis alone.