High prevalence of herpe implex viru type 2 in acute retinal necroi yndrome aociated with herpe implex viru in Japan

PURPOE: To determine the type of herpe implex viru in acute retinal necroi yndrome aociated with herpe implex viru. METHOD: Herpe implex viru type 1, herpe implex viru type 2, varicella-zoter viru, Eptein-Barr viru, and cytomegaloviru were examined by polymerae chain reaction in intraocular pecimen from 16 patient with acute retinal necroi yndrome. Anti–herpe implex viru type 1 and anti–herpe implex viru type 2 type-pecific antibodie in erum from the patient were detected by enzyme immunoaay. REULT: Of 16 patient with acute retinal necroi yndrome, even were polymerae chain reaction poitive for herpe implex viru type 2 and nine were poitive for varicella-zoter viru. Anti–herpe implex viru type 2 antibody wa poitive and anti–herpe implex viru type 1 antibody wa negative in the era of the even patient with herpe implex viru type 2 DNA-poitive acute retinal necroi yndrome. In contrat, anti–herpe implex viru type 2 antibody wa abent in all nine varicella-zoter viru DNA-poitive acute retinal necroi yndrome patient. CONCLUION: Herpe implex viru type 2 ha been demontrated to be the major cauative agent in acute retinal necroi yndrome aociated with herpe implex viru by molecular biological and erological method. Negative preexiting anti–herpe implex viru type 1 antibody may play an important role in acute retinal necroi yndrome aociated with herpe implex viru type 2.