Evaluation of the Cepheid herpes simplex virus typing real-time PCR assay using dermal and genital specimens

• Published in: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease Vol. 56; no. 2; pp. 173 - 177
• Main Author: Podzorski, Raymond P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cepheid; Culture Media; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genitalia, Female - virology; Genitalia, Male - virology; Herpes Simplex - diagnosis; Herpes Simplex - virology; Herpes simplex virus; Herpes simplex virus typing; Herpesvirus 1, Human - classification; Herpesvirus 1, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 1, Human - isolation & purification; Herpesvirus 2, Human - classification; Herpesvirus 2, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 2, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; PCR; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin - virology; Virology; Cepheid; PCR; Herpes simplex virus typing; Virus; Infection; Polymerase chain reaction; Typing; Microbiology; Herpesviridae; Alphaherpesvirinae; Herpesvirus hominis; Real time
• ISSN: 0732-8893; 1879-0070
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2006.03.011

The Cepheid herpes simplex virus (HSV) (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) typing multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was evaluated for its ability to detect HSV in dermal and genital specimens stored in M5 media. Swab specimens ( n = 114) for HSV testing were placed in M5 media and split between our laboratory and a highly experienced reference laboratory. Aliquots for testing with the Cepheid assay were processed using a simple boil-and-go procedure and then run in a SmartCycler® II (Cepheid). Aliquots tested at the reference laboratory were processed using a MagNA Pure LC DNA extractor (Roche Molecular Systems, Alameda, CA) and tested by the Roche HSV real-time PCR assay. Both laboratories detected 35 positives. Of the positive specimens, the Cepheid assay typed 16 as HSV 1 and 19 as HSV 2; the reference laboratory typed 15 as HSV 1, 19 as HSV 2, and 1 as HSV indeterminate. Our results demonstrate that the Cepheid real-time PCR assay, using specimens subjected to minimal specimen processing, performed as well as the Roche real-time PCR assay, using DNA extracts, for the detection of HSV DNA in genital and dermal specimens.