Serological evidence of herpes simplex virus infection in atopic eczema.

Abstract

These patients with atopic eczema were matched against children of the same age and sex from the catchment area of the North Manchester Regional Virus Laboratory, who were referred to hospital during the study period and from whom blood was taken to exclude virus infection. The request cards accompanying the blood specimens were examined, and if eczema, herpes simplex, or malignant disease were mentioned the specimen was excluded.Complement dependent serum neutralising antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (strain VR3) were detected by a modification of the microneutralisation test of Pauls and Dowdle.2 Heat inactivated serum samples were tested in quadruplicate at dilutions of 1:5 and 1:10. Any serum that contained neutralising antibodies at a dilution of 1:5 was regarded as seropositive.