Asymptomatic herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection among pregnant women in Turkey.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: A large proportion of individuals with serologic evidence of infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are asymptomatic. HSV-2 is the main cause of genital herpes infections. The acquisition of genital herpes during pregnancy has been associated with spontaneous abortion, premature labour and congenital and neonatal herpes. The present study was undertaken to determine asymtomatic genital HSV-2 shedding and seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection among asymptomatic pregnant women at the time of delivery in Adana, Turkey. METHODS: Asymptomatic 130 pregnant women without a history of genital herpes were enrolled in the study. HSV-2 shedding was determined by viral culture of the swabs collected from cervix and vulva and HSV-2 antigen was detected by direct immunofluorescence assay (IFA), HSV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by HSV-2 type specific IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: HSV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were found in 82 (63.1%) and 18 (11.3%) of 130 pregnant women. HSV-2 type-specific antigen was detected in 22 (16.9%) pregnant women by IFA test, 17 (13.1%) of whom had HSV-2 IgM antibodies. HSV-2 was isolated only in 3 women. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of HSV-2 (63.1%) and genital HSV-2 infection (16.9%) was high among asymptomatic pregnant women in Adana, Turkey. Therefore, to reduce the risk of neonatal herpes, HSV-2 type-specific antibodies should be detected in pregnant women using serological tests that allow to identify women with asymptomatic or subclinical genital HSV-2 infection and those susceptible to primary genital HSV-2 infection.

Encapsidation defectiveness of herpes simplex virus type 2 during replication at acid pH condition.

The maximal yield of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) grown at pH 6.5 decreased 10(2)-10(3) fold compared to that recovered at pH 7.5. Electron microscopic observation of the infected cells maintained at these 2 pH conditions indicated that approximately equal amounts of immature virions were synthesized 6 hours after infection. However, at 18 hours post infection the majority of viruses present in the nucleus of infected cells maintained at pH 6.5 were empty or partially cored capsids with some particles enveloped and present in the cytoplasm, whereas at pH 7.5 mature virions already appeared at the cytoplasmic membrane. Analysis of viral polypeptides by radioimmunoprecipitation indicated that the synthesis of p40, a family of polypeptides closely involved in viral DNA encapsidation, was significantly impaired in infected cells maintained at pH 6.5.