Abstract
Active infection caused by herpetic viruses was evaluated in patients with different diseases of the nervous system using several diagnostic methods: (1) assessment of virus specific antibodies in serum and CSF, (2) detection of viral herpetic particles in serum and CSF by direct electron microscopy and (3) detection of HSV1 viral DNA in CSF of patients. Most frequently, antibodies confirming an active EBV and HSV infection were found in serum and CSF.
Serological signs of activation of herpetic viruses were observed in all the evaluated diagnoses. Evidence of particles of herpetic viruses was most frequent in plasma and CSF of patients with the diagnosis of encephalitis or meningitis.
HSV-DNA was found in 7% of tested patients with the diagnosis of encephalitis and/or meningitis and in 7% of patients with demyelinating disease of the CNS.