Thin-layer immunoassay for determination of antibodies to herpes simplex virus.

Thin-layer immunoassay (TIA) is a simple serological technique suitable for analysis of large numbers of samples. In this study, TIA was evaluated for determination of antibodies to herpes simplex virus. Herpes simplex virus antigen used in TIA was purified from material released from virus-infected cells. The results obtained by TIA were compared with those obtained by neutralization and complement fixation tests. TIA was found to be as sensitive as the neutralization test for demonstration of herpes simplex virus antibodies. No false-negative or -positive reactions were observed. In primary herpes simplex virus-1 infections, an antibody response was demonstrated by TIA, whereas antibodies could not be demonstrated in patients with primary herpes simplex virus-2 infections.