Enzyme immunoassay for measurement of antibodies to herpes simplex virus infection: comparison with complement fixation, immunofluorescent-antibody, and neutralization techniques

Abstract

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for detecting antibody to herpes simplex virus, and the results were compared with those of complement fixation, indirect immunofluorescent-antibody, and plaque reduction neutralization tests. Test sera showed very little nonspecific reactivity even at a starting dilution as low as 1:10. EIA results showed excellent correlation with results obtained by the neutralization test, with an average gain in sensitivity of 1.65. EIA proved very useful in detecting current herpes simplex virus infection, and antibody appeared in all cases soon after clinical onset. EIA appears to be a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for routine demonstration of herpes simplex virus antibody in a clinical setting.