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. 2005 Jan;46(1):241-7.
doi: 10.1167/iovs.04-0614.

HSV-1 DNA in tears and saliva of normal adults

Herbert E Kaufman  1 , Ann M Azcuy, Emily D Varnell, Gregory D Sloop, Hilary W Thompson, James M Hill
Affiliations

HSV-1 DNA in tears and saliva of normal adults

Herbert E Kaufman et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the frequency of shedding of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA in tears and saliva of asymptomatic individuals.

Methods: Fifty subjects without signs of ocular herpetic disease participated. Serum samples from all subjects were tested for HSV IgG antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and for HSV-1 by neutralization assay. HSV-1 DNA copy number and frequency of shedding were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of tear and saliva samples collected twice daily for 30 consecutive days.

Results: Thirty-seven (74%) of the 50 subjects were positive for HSV IgG by ELISA. The percentages of positive eye and mouth swabs were approximately equivalent: 33.5% (941/2806) and 37.5% (1020/2723), respectively. However, the percentage of samples with high HSV-1 genome copy numbers was greater in saliva than in tears, which may have been a result of the sample volume collected. Shedding frequency in tears was nearly the same in men (347/1003; 34.6%) and women (594/1705; 34.8%); in saliva, men had a higher frequency of shedding (457/1009; 45.3% vs. 563/1703; 33.1%, men versus women). Overall, 49 (98%) of 50 subjects shed HSV-1 DNA at least once during the course of the 30-day study.

Conclusions: The percentage of asymptomatic subjects who intermittently shed HSV-1 DNA in tears or saliva was higher than the percentage of subjects with positive ELISA or neutralization antibodies to HSV. Because most HSV transmission occurs during asymptomatic shedding, further knowledge of the prevalence of HSV-1 DNA in tears and saliva is warranted to control its spread. Shedding is simple to study, and its suppression may be an efficient way to evaluate new antivirals in humans.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of 2806 eye and 2723 mouth swab results obtained with HSV-1 DNA polymerase real-time PCR. Of the total swabs assayed, 941 (33.5%) eye and 1020 (37.5%) mouth swabs were positive.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of HSV-1 DNA copy numbers per 10 μL for 941 positive eye and 1020 positive mouth swabs.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Frequency of HSV-1 DNA shedding over the course of the 30-day study (positive swabs/total swabs). Overall, 49 (98%) of the 50 subjects shed HSV DNA at least once. Only subject 7 did not shed virus in any of the samples. All 50 subjects are represented in the eye swab data; 48 subjects are represented in the mouth swab data (subjects 30, 38 not available).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of HSV-1 DNA copy numbers in tears from subjects 3, 16, and 28 for 30 consecutive days. AM samples were obtained before oral hygiene was performed. PM samples were obtained approximately 12 hours later.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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