OBJECTIVETo establish a specific and sensitive serological ELISA, diagnostic method, for herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection using yeast expressed glycoprotein D (gD) of HSV-1 as coating antigen.

METHODSThe yeast expressed products were collected at the most appropriate time and sonicated. After the optimum dilution titers of the coating antigens and sera were determined, 57 clinical sera were assayed using the recombinant gD and HSV-1-infected culture media as coating antigens respectively. The same sera were also assayed by homemade and Euroimmun ELISA kit, Germany. The results of German kit as a golden standard were compared with those of the other three methods in specificity, sensitivity and accordance rate.

RESULTSCompared to the imported kit, the specificities of recombinant protein, HSV-I culture media and homemade kit were 57.1%, 57.1% and 100.0%, respectively, the sensitivities were 82.0%, 78.0%, 48.0% and the accordance rates were 78.9%, 75.4%, 54.4%, respectively. The results of repeated experiments of recombinant protein showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two experiments (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe ELISA with recombinant gD protein of HSV-1 as coating antigen is a specific, sensitive, quick and convenient method for diagnosis of HSV-1 infection.