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J Clin Microbiol. 1989 June; 27(6): 1324-1328

Amplification techniques for detection of herpes simplex virus in neonatal and maternal genital specimens obtained at delivery.

Kaiser Permanente Regional Virology Laboratory, North Hollywood, California 91601.

ABSTRACT

Viral culture amplification methods, including centrifugation, use of a cell pretreatment medium containing dimethyl sulfoxide and dexamethasone (DEX medium), and three commercial enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), were evaluated for use with low-titer, asymptomatic neonatal and obstetric samples obtained at delivery. The 4.5-h Ortho EIA was 59.7% sensitive at 16 h compared with 86.4% at 36 h in a spin-amplified format (SAT-EIA). After 36 h with DEX medium, the SAT-EIA was 97.3% sensitive using the 2.5-h modified Ortho EIA and 69.9% sensitive using the Fairleigh Dickinson EIA. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) cytopathic effect was reported in tube culture 1 to 2 days earlier in 8.1 to 35.9% of cells with DEX medium. Overall, the SAT-EIA using the modified Ortho EIA and cells with DEX medium detected 147 of 153 (96.1%) HSV isolates from samples obtained predelivery and 93.1% of 29 HSV positives from samples obtained at labor and delivery, with specificities of 100 and 99.9%, respectively, at 36 h.