herpes
Detection of herpes simplex virus type 2-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in African sera by using recombinant gG2, Western blotting, and gG2 inhibition.

Hogrefe W, Su X, Song J, Ashley R, Kong L.

Focus Technologies, 5785 Corporate Avenue, Cypress, CA 90630, USA. Whogrefe focusanswers.com

Sera (n = 781) from four African countries were used to determine the prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) antibodies by using the HerpeSelect HSV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Focus Technologies) and Western blotting (WB). Also, an HSV inhibition assay was developed to evaluate the discordant sample results between HerpesSelect and WB. The seroprevalence of HSV-2 ranged from 17% in the South African panel to nearly 70% in panels from Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Overall, HerpeSelect was 100% sensitive and 88% specific compared to WB and 100% sensitive and 96% specific compared to the inhibition assay. There was 100% concordance among all three assays for samples from South Africa and Zimbabwe. The discordant results occurred in samples from Kenya and Uganda.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12354858&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
[Herpes as viewed by the French: result of a survey conducted on 10,000 persons]

[Article in French]

Dreno B, Ramel F, Aymard M, Braig S, Judlin P, Malkin JE, Morand P, Picard O.

bdreno chu-nantes.fr

Herpes is a viral infection which increases, specifically genital herpes. The aim of this survey was to assess the perception of herpes in the general population and in patients with herpes in France using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 10,000 persons answered the questionnaire among which 128 patients presented herpes. This study showed that only 5% of the French population knew that herpes was a viral infection, and 7% a sexually transmitted disease. Among patients with genital herpes only 34% indicated a sexual relationship and a mode of contamination. The interference with sexual and social life is important. Development of information and communication on herpes appears crucial.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12360696&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
Self-reported herpes labialis in a Swedish population.

Lowhagen GB, Bonde E, Eriksson B, Nordin P, Tunback P, Krantz I.

Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden. gun-britt.lowhagen vgregion.se

In a cross-sectional study, the occurrence of a self-reported history of labial herpes was evaluated. The study population comprised a stratified random sample of 5,000 individuals, aged 0-60 y, from south-west Sweden. A questionnaire, together with written and photographic descriptions of labial herpes lesions, was sent to the participants. Of 5,000 questionnaires sent out, 3597 (72%) were returned. In answer to the question "Have you ever had herpes?" the point estimate was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.1%-28.1%) and for the question "Have you had herpes in the last 2 y?" it was 19.4 (95% CI 18.0-20.8). The proportion of individuals who had had herpes was higher for the older age groups. About 5% of children aged < or = 5 y had experienced labial herpes. Herpes was more frequently reported by females than males: odds ratio 1.29 (95% CI 1.10-1.51). Compared to previous studies in Sweden, our data do not indicate that the occurrence of labial herpes lesions has decreased.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12374357&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
Frequency of herpes simplex virus in Syria based on type-specific serological assay.

Ibrahim AI, Kouwatli KM, Obeid MT.

Department of Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Damascus, Damascus, Syria.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 antibodies in Syrian populations. Serum samples collected between 1995-1998 from a total of 1293 healthy persons, neonates, pregnant women, labial herpes patients, kidney transplantation patients, atherosclerosis patients, cervical cancer patients, patients with suspected herpetic keratitis, viral encephalitis patients, patients with sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS patients, female prostitutes and bar girls. METHODS: Serum samples were studied by enzyme immunosorbent assay using herpes simplex virus type-specific antigen, glycoprotein (gG). RESULTS: In the healthy group, herpes simplex virus type 1 infections correlated mostly with age and was prevalent among subjects >30 years (approximately 95% of persons in our country have herpes simplex virus type 1 antibodies by 30 years of age), while they varied moderately among other groups. Herpes simplex virus type 2 prevalence varied greatly among the groups defined by sexual activity and was associated with risk behavior for prostitution. Herpes simplex virus type 2 seroprevalence was highest among prostitutes (34%) and bar girls (20%); lowest in healthy persons (0.15%); and intermediate in sexually transmitted disease patients (9.5%), cervical cancer patients (8%) and AIDS patients (4%). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that infection of herpes simplex virus type 2 is very rare in persons in our country.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11533818&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
Egress of alphaherpes viruses: comparative ultrastructural study.

Granzow H, Klupp BG, Fuchs W, Veits J, Osterrieder N, Mettenleiter TC.

Institutes of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institutes, Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, D-17498 Insel Riems, Germany. Harald.Granzow rie.bfav.de

Egress of four important alphaherpes viruses, equine herpes virus 1 (EHV-1), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV), and pseudorabies virus (PrV), was investigated by electron microscopy of infected cell lines of different origins. In all virus-cell systems analyzed, similar observations were made concerning the different stages of virion morphogenesis. After intranuclear assembly, nucleocapsids bud at the inner leaflet of the nuclear membrane, resulting in enveloped particles in the perinuclear space that contain a sharply bordered rim of tegument and a smooth envelope surface. Egress from the perinuclear cisterna primarily occurs by fusion of the primary envelope with the outer leaflet of the nuclear membrane, which has been visualized for HSV-1 and EHV-1 for the first time. The resulting intracytoplasmic naked nucleocapsids are enveloped at membranes of the trans-Golgi network (TGN), as shown by immunogold labeling with a TGN-specific antiserum. Virions containing their final envelope differ in morphology from particles within the perinuclear cisterna by visible surface projections and a diffuse tegument. Particularly striking was the addition of a large amount of tegument material to ILTV capsids in the cytoplasm. Extracellular virions were morphologically identical to virions within Golgi-derived vesicles, but distinct from virions in the perinuclear space. Studies with gB- and gH-deleted PrV mutants indicated that these two glycoproteins, which are essential for virus entry and direct cell-to-cell spread, are dispensable for egress. Taken together, our studies indicate that the deenvelopment-reenvelopment process of herpes virus maturation also occurs in EHV-1, HSV-1, and ILTV and that membrane fusion processes occurring during egress are substantially different from those during entry and direct viral cell-to-cell spread.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11264357&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
Porcine HveC, a member of the highly conserved HveC/nectin 1 family, is a functional alphaherpes virus receptor.

Milne RS, Connolly SA, Krummenacher C, Eisenberg RJ, Cohen GH.

Department of Microbiology, School of Dental Medicine, 215 Levy Building, 4010 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. rmilne biochem.dental.upenn.edu

Human herpes virus entry mediator C (HveC) is an alphaherpes virus receptor which binds to virion glycoprotein D (gD). We identified porcine HveC and studied its interaction with pseudorabies virus (PrV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) gD. Porcine and human HveC have 96% amino acid identity and HveC from African green monkey, mouse, hamster, and cow are similarly conserved. Porcine HveC mediates entry of HSV-1, HSV-2, PrV, and bovine herpes virus type 1. Truncated soluble forms of HSV-1 and PrV gD bind competitively to porcine HveC. Biosensor analysis shows that PrV gD binds with a 10-fold higher affinity than HSV-1 gD. Monoclonal antibodies against human HveC recognize the porcine homologue and can block gD binding and entry of HSV-1 and PrV. Porcine HveC is functionally indistinguishable from human HveC. Our results are consistent with the suggestion that HveC is a pan-alphaherpes virus receptor that interacts with a conserved structural domain of gD. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11277703&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
Experimental laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis induces the reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus.

Dhaliwal DK, Romanowski EG, Yates KA, Hu D, Goldstein M, Gordon YJ.

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. dhaliwaldk msx.upmc.edu

PURPOSE: We determined whether laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis acts as a trigger for the reactivation and ocular shedding of herpes simplex virus type-1 in a rabbit latency model. METHODS: Herpes simplex virus type-1 latently infected rabbits were divided into three treatment groups: Group I received surface excimer laser ablation in both eyes (positive control), Group II received laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis in both eyes, and Group III received no treatment (negative control). Eyes were cultured daily for 10 days to determine herpes simplex virus type-1 reactivation. RESULTS: The number of herpes simplex virus type-1 positive eye cultures and total herpes simplex virus type-1 shedding days were significantly greater after surface excimer laser ablation and laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis compared with the untreated control group (P < 0.002 and P < 0.000001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis as well as surface excimer laser ablation act as a trigger for the reactivation of herpes simplex virus type-1 in the rabbit latency model.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11292417&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine



herpes
Prevalence and risk factors for herpes simplex virus type 2 infection among middle-age women in Brazil and the Philippines.

Smith JS, Herrero R, Munoz N, Eluf-Neto J, Ngelangel C, Bosch FX, Ashley RL.

International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France. smith iarc.fr

BACKGROUND: Data comparing type-specific herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) seroprevalence and risk factors between comparable populations are largely unavailable, particularly from less-developed countries. GOAL: To examine the seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection and the risk factors for this infection among women in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Manila, the Philippines. STUDY DESIGN: Altogether, 552 middle-aged women participating as control subjects in two cervical cancer studies were screened for type-specific HSV-2 antibodies. RESULTS: Herpes simplex virus type 2 seroprevalence was higher in Brazil (42%) than in the Philippines (9.2%). The mean ages of Brazilian (n = 181) and Filipino (n = 371) women were 52.4 and 46.6 years, respectively. Brazilian participants had more lifetime sexual partners, less education, and more often a husband with other sexual partners than Filipino women. Herpes simplex virus type 2 was independently associated with younger age at first intercourse in both countries. More than one lifetime sexual partner, a husband with other sexual partners, urban/semi-urban residence, and no history of condom use were HSV-2 risk factors in Brazil, but not in the Philippines, where long-term hormonal contraceptive use was associated with increased risk. CONCLUSIONS: The higher HSV-2 seroprevalence in Brazil than in the Philippines may be explained largely by differences in the sexual behavior of women and their husbands. Herpes simplex virus type 2 seroprevalence data may be used as a marker of past sexual behavior for the direct comparison of different population groups.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11318248&dopt=Abstract herpes medicine