Erythema multiforme and herpes simplex virus.

It has been suggested that herpes simplex virus (HSV) can trigger erythema multiforme (EM) at different times. One recent study showed HSV antigen in immune complexes of patients with EM. The purpose of our study was to assess a possible association between EM and HSV. Sixteen patients and 16 matched controls were studied using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure antibody of the IgG, IgA, and IgM classes against HSV-1. From our study on patients with oral erythema multiforme, we found no evidence to correlate the occurrence and/or severity of EM and the HSV-1.