Serological responses to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot (WB)

Abstract

Serological response of 56 patients to primary and recurrent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by Western blot analysis (WB). ELISA test showed a high sensitivity in detecting IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies. From 27 patients with recurrent infection, 13 (48%) had IgM antibody. The percentage of patients positive for IgA was similar among those with primary (72.4%) or recurrent (81%) infection. The band pattern in WB alone did not allow to distinguish between patients with primary or recurrent infections. Furthermore, no correlation between the particular viral proteins and clinical manifestation could be determined. The kinetics of antibody response could be followed with both methods.