Efficacy of Indirect Immunofluorescent Antibody Test in Herpes Simplex Keratitis.

Kim, Hyun Seung; Hahn, Tae Won

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1999;40(7):1770-1781.
Published online July 1, 1999.

Efficacy of Indirect Immunofluorescent Antibody Test in Herpes Simplex Keratitis.

Hyun Seung Kim, Tae Won Hahn

Deaprtment of Ophthalmology, college of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea.

단순포진 각막염 가토 모델에서 간접 면역형광항체검사의 유용성 검정

김현승(Hyun Seung Kim),한태원(Tae Won Hahn)

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus keratits(HSK) is one of the most common external eye diseases that cause corneal blindness, Therefore early diagnosis and proper treatment of HSK are essential. However it is frequently misdiagnosed because it shows non-specific corneal lesion than other infectious corneal disease. And also diagnosis of HSK mostly rely on clinical examination and patient history. We evaluated suspicious HSK patients by indirect immunofluofluorescent(IF) antibody test and analyzed its efficacy in the early diagnosis of HSK. Among 47 patients(47 eyes), 37 patients were suspicious heretic keratitis and others not. Dendritic keratitis patients existed in 17 out of 37 patients and they were evaluated with virus culture and indirect IF test. The result of indirect IF test was confirmed under the immunofluorescent microscope and for virus culture the specimens were inoculated on Vero cells(monkey kidney cells). The positive results of indirect IF test was 28 out of 37 suspicious HSK patients and 1 out of 10 non-suspicious HSK patients. Dendritic HSK patients showed IF positive in 15 out of 17 patients(82.3%). Sensitivity of indirect IF test in suspicious HSK patients was 75.7%(2837) and 88.2%(15/17) in dendritic HSK patients. Indirect IF test was all positive(14/14) in dendritic HSK patients that showed culture positive. From these results, indirect IF test has a high sensitivity in early diagnosis of HSK and might be ussful as a rapid diagnostic tool in HSK patients.

Key Words: Indirect immunofluorescent antibody test;Herpes simplex keratitis;Virus culture