Typing of Herpes Simplex Virus in Patients with Uveitis

Aim: To examine the type of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in cases with uveitis.Materials and Methods: Intraocular fluid specimens obtained from 3 cases with herpetic iridocyclitis and 6 cases with acute retinal necrosis (ARN) were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HSV typing was performed by the restriction patterns of the PCR products. Serum samples obtained from these cases and 33 cases with uveitis were examined by neutralization test (NT) for the availability of the typing of HSV.Results: The restriction patterns of the PCR products amplified from 3 specimens of iridocyclitis revealed HSV type 1 DNA. HSV type 2 DNA was identified in 5 of 6 cases of ARN and HSV type 1 DNA was found in only one case. The results of serum NT titers correlated with the typing of the amplicons.Conclusions: In the cases studied, HSV type 1 was the dominant etiological agent in herpetic iridocyclitis, while HSV type 2 plated a similar role in HSV-associated ARN. The examination of the serum NT may be helpful for the identification of the etiological types of HSV in patients with uveitis.