Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Multiplex Assays Detect HSV-1/2 And Varicella Zoster Virus

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 12 Jan 2015
The performance of two multiplex real-time polymerase chain reactions (PCR) to individual real-time PCR for the detection of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, and Varicella zoster virus (VZV) from clinical specimens have been compared.

Viral culture has been considered the gold standard test, although molecular methods have been shown to be more rapid and sensitive and currently, most laboratories perform real-time PCR for the detection of HSV and VZV.

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, USA) tested 26,186 samples that were submitted to their laboratory for routine testing by HSV-1/2 real-time PCR analyte-specific reagents (ASR) and/or a VZV laboratory-developed test (LDT) between November 2013 and March 2014. Testing by the routine methods included nucleic acid extraction using the MagNA Pure (Roche; Basel, Switzerland) and analysis on the Roche LightCycler 2.0.

The two multiplex assays that were compared to the routine PCR were the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Silver Springs, MD, USA)-approved Lyra HSV 1+2/VZV assay (Quidel; San Diego, CA, USA) and the Simplexa HSV-1/2 and VZV combined analyte specific reagents (Focus Diagnostics; Cypress, CA, USA). Samples were also tested by combining the Focus Diagnostics ASRs for HSV 1 + 2 and VZV and testing was then performed on the Focus 3M Integrated Cycler.

The results were compared to a consensus standard, defined as the result obtained by at least two of the three molecular methods. The sensitivity of the Quidel assay ranged from 92.0% for HSV-1 to 97.7% for HSV-2, while the specificity for all targets was 100%. The Focus assay demonstrated 100% sensitivity for all targets, and the percent specificity ranged from 96.8% for HSV-1 to 100% for HSV-2 and VZV.

The authors concluded that for the detection of HSV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the Focus assay showed 100% sensitivity and specificity, while the Quidel HSV-2 method exhibited a sensitivity of 87.5% (7/8) and specificity of 100% (18/18). Future studies evaluating a larger number of CSF samples are needed to better define the performance of these tests. Multiplex assays for HSV-1/2 and VZV offer a promising option for clinical laboratories seeking to reduce hands-on and turnaround times. The study was published online in the January issue of the journal Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease.

Related Links:

Mayo Clinic
Roche 
Quidel



Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Mumps Virus Test
ZEUS ELISA Mumps IgG Test System
New
Multi-Function Pipetting Platform
apricot PP5
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The tiny clay-based materials can be customized for a range of medical applications (Photo courtesy of Angira Roy and Sam O’Keefe)

‘Brilliantly Luminous’ Nanoscale Chemical Tool to Improve Disease Detection

Thousands of commercially available glowing molecules known as fluorophores are commonly used in medical imaging, disease detection, biomarker tagging, and chemical analysis. They are also integral in... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The ready-to-use DUB enzyme assay kits accelerate routine DUB activity assays without compromising data quality (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Sensitive and Specific DUB Enzyme Assay Kits Require Minimal Setup Without Substrate Preparation

Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are two important physiological processes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, responsible for protein degradation in cells. Deubiquitinating (DUB) enzymes contain around... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The HIV-1 self-testing chip will be capable of selectively detecting HIV in whole blood samples (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples

As of the end of 2023, approximately 40 million people globally were living with HIV, and around 630,000 individuals died from AIDS-related illnesses that same year. Despite a substantial decline in deaths... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to leverage Oxford Nanopore\'s sequencing platform and Cepheid\'s GeneXpert system to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.