Serological diagnosis of human herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 infections by luciferase immunoprecipitation system assay

Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2009 Mar;16(3):366-71. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00350-08. Epub 2009 Jan 7.

Abstract

Highly quantitative and high-throughput serological tests for evaluation of humoral responses to herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 are not available. The efficacy of luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) assays for antibody profiling and serologic diagnosis of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection was investigated using a panel of five recombinant HSV antigens. Plasma samples from subjects seropositive for HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 or seronegative for HSV-1 and HSV-2 that had previously been analyzed by Western blotting and the Focus Plexus immunoassay were evaluated. The LIPS test measuring anti-gG1 antibody titers was 96% sensitive and 96% specific for detecting HSV-1 infection, compared with the Focus immunoassay, and was 92% sensitive and 96% specific, compared with Western blotting. The results for the anti-gG2 LIPS test for HSV-2 precisely matched those for Western blotting, with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, and showed robust antibody titers in all the HSV-2-infected samples that were over 1,000 times higher than those in HSV-2-negative or HSV-1-positive samples. Antibodies to three additional HSV-2 proteins, gB, gD, and ICP8, were detected in many of the HSV-1- and/or HSV-2-infected plasma samples and showed preferentially higher immunoreactivity in HSV-2-infected plasma. The titers of antibodies to these three HSV-2 antigens also significantly correlated with each other (R=0.75 to 0.81; P<0.0001). These studies indicate that the robust anti-gG1 and anti-gG2 antibody responses detected by LIPS assays are useful for HSV-1 and HSV-2 detection and suggest that profiling of antibody responses to a panel of HSV proteins may be useful for characterizing individual humoral responses to infection and for monitoring responses to vaccines.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Herpes Simplex / diagnosis*
  • Herpes Simplex / virology*
  • Herpesvirus 1, Human / immunology*
  • Herpesvirus 2, Human / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoprecipitation / methods*
  • Luciferases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serologic Tests / methods

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Antigens, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Luciferases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/FJ457776
  • GENBANK/FJ457777
  • GENBANK/FJ457778
  • GENBANK/FJ457779
  • GENBANK/FJ457780