Comparison of the Ortho Cultureset (Vero cells) and Difco Cellmatics system (mink lung and primary rabbit kidney cells) for the detection of herpes simplex virus from clinical specimens.

Two Cellmatics (Difco) Herpes simplex virus (HSV) detection systems, one with mink lung cells (ML) and the other with primary rabbit kidney cells (PRK) and the Cultureset (Ortho) system with Vero cells were compared for their ability to detect previously positive specimens. One hundred fifty patients specimens positive for HSV in either Vero or PRK cells prior to freezing at -70 degrees C were thawed once, diluted to 1:8, and inoculated in duplicate into each cell system. Positive cultures were detected using each kit's immunoperoxidase method. All three cell lines were stained at 24 hr followed by a final staining of negative cultures at 48 hr for Cultureset and at 72 hr for Cellmatics as per kit instructions. At 24 hr percent detection was: Cellmatics (ML) = 85%, Cellmatics (PRK) = 81%, Cultureset (Vero) = 74%. At final staining percent detection was 94%, 92%, and 84%, respectively. The Cellmatics system has the advantage of fewer steps in the staining procedure and no manipulation of coverslips because staining is performed in the tubes. As employed in these commercial systems, the Cellmatics system with ML cells is more sensitive than the Cultureset with Vero cells (p less than 0.001) and comparable to the Cellmatics system with PRK.