I4  Serological Detection of Herpes simplex type 1 and 2 : A Toss of the Coin!

D. COOK*, R. SHIVJI, P. TSANG, G. McNABB,  M. KRAJDEN. British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, British Columbia

Objective: The serological detection of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type specific antibodies may be required to help assess the risk of type specific infection especially in prenatal patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate four commercial HSV 1/ 2  serological assays for use in prenatal patients. 

Methods: 89 sera were tested by four commercial HSV type specific serology assays: Gull HSV 1and 2, Focus Technologies  (formerly MRL Diagnostics) HerpeSelect TM HSV type-1 and type-2, Trinity Biotech CaptiaTM HSV 1 and 2, and Euroimmun HSV 1/ 2. 

Results: In comparing 89 sera, 22 were negative for HSV1/ 2  by all four methods. In comparing two assays Gull and Focus Technologies, 26 were negative for HSV 1/ 2,  27 were HSV1 positive, 26 were HSV2 positive, and 10 had discrepancies between the two methods.

In comparing three assays Gull, Focus Technologies and EuroImmun 23 were negative for HSV 1/ 2, 27 were HSV1 positive, 2 were HSV2 positive, and 37 had discrepancies between the three methods. In comparing the four assays Gull, Focus Technologies, EuroImmun and Trinity Biotech 22 were negative for HSV 1/ 2, 2 were HSV1 positive, 0 were HSV2 and there were 65 discrepancies between the four methods.  

Immunoblots are to be completed to resolve the discrepancies in typing results.    

Conclusion: The best agreement of type specific HSV serology was seen between Gull and Focus Technologies. There was agreement for HSV type 1 in three of the assays, Gull, Focus Technologies and Euroimmun. Major discrepancies were seen when comparing results of HSV type 2. There is a critical need for improved HSV type specific test standardization to support more reliable HSV 1/ 2 serologic test results.