Type-specificity of serum antibodies from genital herpes patients as determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using HSV-infected cells as antigens

Abstract

Type-specificity of serum antibodies from genital herpes patients was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using antigens extracted from herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1- and 2-infected cells. Sixty-three of HSV type-known panel sera, which had been typed by HSV glycoprotein G-specific immunodot analysis, consisted of 3 groups; group I (25 sera; gG-1 antibody- and HSV-1 isolation-positive), group II (19 sera; gG-2 antibody- and HSV-2 isolation-positive) and group III (19 sera; gG-1 and gG-2 antibodies- and HSV-2 isolation-positive), were assayed for IgM, IgA, IgG1 and IgG3 antibody activities (optical densities) against HSV-1- as well as HSV-2-infected cell antigens. IgG antibodies of these 3 groups showed 2 different patterns of reactivities. The group II sera reacted with the two antigens to the same extent and could be differentiated from other 2 groups. The latter 2 groups were difficult to differentiate because of similar reaction patterns showing higher reactivities to HSV-1 antigen. In contrast, type-specificity was not observed in IgM antibody activities. The higher reactivities of IgG antibody to HSV-1 antigen than to HSV-2 antigen in the group III sera indicate the "original antigenic sin" phenomenon, i.e.; memory B cells produced in prior infection with HSV-1 were activated by cross-reactive antigens of HSV-2 which infected secondarily. To presume the type of infected HSV from serum antibody reactivities was difficult as long as HSV-infected cells were used as antigens in ELISA.