Development and evaluation of topical formulations that contain hydroethanolic extract from Schinus terebinthifolia against HSV-1 infection

Abstract The therapeutic drugs to treat Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections have toxic side effects and there has been an emergence of drug-resistant strains. Therefore, the search for new treatments for HSV infections is mounting. In the present study, semi-solid formulations containing a crude hydroethanolic extract (CHE) from Schinus terebinthifolia were developed. Skin irritation, cutaneous permeation, and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of the formulations were investigated. Treatment with the ointment formulations did not result in any signs of skin irritation while the emulsions increased the thickness of the epidermis in Swiss mice. The cutaneous permeation test indicated that the CHE incorporated in the formulations permeated through the skin layers and was present in the epidermis and dermis even 3 h after topical application. In vivo antiviral activity in BALB/c mice treated with the CHE ointments was better than those treated with the CHE emulsions and did not significantly differ from an acyclovir-treated group. Taken together, this suggests that the incorporation of CHE in the ointment may be a potential candidate for the alternative topical treatment of herpetic lesions.

A molecular method for typing Herpes simplex virus isolates as an alternative to immunofluorescence methods.

BACKGROUND: Typing of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) isolates is required to identify the virus isolated in culture. The methods available for this include antigen detection by immunofluorescence (IF) assays and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study was undertaken to standardize a molecular method for typing of HSV and compare it with a commercial IF reagent for typing. OBJECTIVES: To compare a molecular method for typing HSV isolates with a monoclonal antibody (MAb) based IF test. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study utilized four reference strains and 42 HSV isolates obtained from patients between September 1998 and September 2004. These were subjected to testing using an MAb-based IF test and a PCR that detects the polymerase ( pol ) gene of HSV isolates. RESULTS: The observed agreement of the MAb IF assay with the pol PCR was 95.7%. Fifty four point eight percent (23/42) of isolates tested by IF typing were found to be HSV-1, 40.5% (17/42) were HSV-2, and two (4.8%) were untypable using the MAb IF assay. The two untypable isolates were found to be HSV-2 using the pol PCR. In addition, the cost per PCR test for typing is estimated to be around Rs 1,300 (USD 30), whereas the cost per MAb IF test is about Rs 1,500 (USD 35) including all overheads (reagents, instruments, personnel time, and consumables). CONCLUSION: The pol PCR is a cheaper and more easily reproducible method for typing HSV isolates as compared to the IF test. It could replace the IF-based method for routine typing of HSV isolates as availability of PCR machines (thermal cyclers) is now more widespread than fluorescence microscopes in a country like India.

Herpes simples genital, uma doença sexualmente transmissível / Genital herpes simplex, a sexually transmitted disease

Na avaliaçäo da transmissibilidade sexual dos herpes simples genital, foi estudada a prevalência de anticorpos específicos contra o herpes simples vírus do tipo 2 (HSV-2), em populaçöes de baixo e de alto risco para doenças sexualmente transmissíveis (DST). A populaçäo de baixo risco para a aquisiçäo das DST foi constituída por 155 doadores voluntários de sangue no HUCFF/UFRJ, entre fevereiro e junho de 1994. Todos foram submetidos a um questionário acerca dos fatores de risco para a aquisiçäo das DST e que traçou o perfil sócio-epidemiológico desta populaçäo. Os pacientes de alto risco para a aquisiçäo das DST incluíram 85 portadores do vírus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV), tendo como fatores de risco o homossexualismo, a promiscuidade heterossexual ou contato sexual com o parceiro soropositivo para o HIV. Foram avaliadas, sorologicamente, 20 prostitutas, entre maio e julho de 1994. O teste usado para a análise de todas as amostras de soro, provenientes dos pacientes, foi o ELISA convencional específico para a detecçäo de IgG anti-HSV-2. Para os doadores de sangue, a prevalência do HSV-2 foi de 53,8 por cento, superior à observada em países ocidentais desenvolvidos. Entre os pacientes HIV positivos, ela atingiu 73 por cento (p<0,01). Para todo o grupo de alto risco para a aquisiçäo das doenças sexualmente transmissíveis atingiu 72 por cento de prevalência (p<0,05, razäo de chance = 6,27). As variáveis que mais se associaram à soroprevalência do HSV-2 foram a multiplicidade de parceiros sexuais, relaçöes sexuais com portador de herpes genital, história prévia de abortos e de relaçöes homossexuais. Os nossos achados permitem sugerir a realizaçäo de estudos adicionais de soroprevalência em nosso meio, especialmente entre os pacientes HIV positivos. Os pacientes soropositivos para o HSV-2 devem ser orientados quanto aos mecanismos de transmissäo do vírus

Identidad genómica entre virus herpes simplex aislados de lesiones glúteas y genitales / Genomic identity among herpes simplex virus isolated from buttock and genital injuries

El herpes glúteo es originado por el HSV-2 en más del 70 por ciento de los casos y un 58 por ciento de los pacientes refiere antecedentes de herpes genital. Con el fin de investigar la existencia de identidad genómica entre los HSV aislados de lesiones glúteas y genitales, se estudiaron 21 HSV: 9 obtenidos de lesiones glúteas; 8 de lesiones genitales y 4 de secreción vaginal. Estos aislados provenían de 5 pacientes portadores de herpes glúteo y genital. El estudio se realizó mediante aislamiento viral, tipificación con anticuerpos monoclonales y análisis genómico con enzimas de restricción. Se demostró que, 18 aislados correspondían a HSV-2 y 3 a HSV-1. El estudio con enzimas de restricción corroboró los resultados obtenidos con anticuerpos monoclonales y permitió definir la existencia de 4 tipos de patrón HSV-2 y dos de HSV-1. Se estableció la existencia de doble infección herpética en dos de las pacientes analizadas. Los pérfiles de los genomas virales obtenidos de aislados glúteos se correspondieron en forma idéntica con el de los aislados genitales y de secreción vaginal en cada una de las pacientes estudiadas. Los resultados anteriores nos permiten confirmar la hipótesis que lesiones herpéticas genitales y glúteas pueden ser originadas por la misma cepa viral y tener un origen de infección común

Multigenic control of virus virulence in intertypic recombinants of herpes simplex virus.

The virulence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 x type 2 intertypic recombinants was determined following infection of corneas of outbred New Zealand White rabbits. None of the four recombinants was as virulent for rabbits as type 1 parent. All the four recombinants having an insert of type 2 virus genome between 0.35 and 0.576 map units (m.u.) and/or 0.82 and 1.00 m.u. exhibited intermediate virulence between their type 1 and type 2 parents. The results indicate that intertypic recombinants are moderated in their virulence independent of their parental virulence and therefore there exists a multigenic control of HSV virulence.

Isolation and typing of herpes simplex viruses in the infections of mouth, respiratory and genital tracts.

A total of 60 herpes simplex virus (HSV) isolates obtained from individuals with genital herpes lesions in the mouth or respiratory illness were typed in this study. The HSV isolation rate in genital herpes was 31%. The typing was done by a direct fluorescent monoclonal antibody technique using commercial reagents. All the 60 Vero cell grown isolates were successfully typed without any indeterminate results. Nine isolates were typed as HSV 1 and 51 as HSV 2. The technique was easy to perform and read. HSV 2 was found to predominate in genital infections and HSV 1 in respiratory infections.

Recovery frequencies of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 from symptomatic and asymptomatic genital herpes cases and antiviral sensitivities of isolates.

Herpes simplex viruses were isolated from 40.8 to 56.0 per cent of the patients with genital herpes. The frequency of recovery seemed to be higher in females than in males, particularly during the first episode of infection. Asymptomatic shedding of the virus from female genitalias was approximately 0.7 per cent. Herpes simplex virus type 2 represented 98.4 per cent of all isolates and the remaining isolates were type 1. These isolates exhibited a wide range of sensitiveness to 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl) guanine (acyclovir) as demonstrated by antiviral inhibition assay and no single strain exhibited high in vitro drug ID50 value.

Genital herpes in Jamaica: a clinical and pathological study 1982-1984

Five hundred and four patients with suspected genital simplex virus (HSV) infection were investigated in Jamica between 1982 and 1984. Of these, 100 (1908%) were virologically confirmed. There were 12 patients with primary/first episode, 45 recurrente and 6 "provoked" type of genital herpes simplex virus infections. Genital herpes in women was more severe than in men. Eighty-eight per cent of genital herpes was confirmed by virus isolation. Forty HSF isolates were identified as HSV type 2. There was seroresponse in 75% primary, 18% recurrent and 17% provoked type of genital herpes. Virus isolation is the most sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of genital herpes simplex virus infection. The measuremem of serum anti herpes simplex complement-fixing antibodies was not useful in the diagnosis of suspected patients with genital ulcers and their contacts. The infectiousness of the virus, clinical manifestations, complications such as neonatal herpes infections, psychosocial problems and methods of prevention are issues that clinicians should discuss with patients with genital herpes