Differential in situ hybridization for herpes simplex virus typing in routine skin biopsies

A herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 specific recombinant plasmid probe designated pH2S3 was constructed from non-HSV-1 crossreactive regions of the HSV-2 genome. DNA in situ hybridization on in vitro reconstructed tissue samples of sheep collagen matrix impregnated with herpes virus-infected human cells was used to demonstrate absence of crossreactivity of the pH2S3 probe with HSV-1 and varicella zoster virus under stringent posthybridization washing conditions. It was demonstrated that DNA in situ hybridization with pH2S3 allows specific detection of HSV-2 in routine formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded patient material.