Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3370593 | Journal of Clinical Virology | 2007 | 5 Pages |
BackgroundA more rapid and easier method is needed for monitoring human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infections. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification method (LAMP) can detect viral DNA with high specificity, efficiency, and speed under isothermal conditions. LAMP requires only simple equipment that is available in hospital laboratories.ObjectivesWe evaluated LAMP as a means of detecting HHV-6 DNA directly from patients’ sera.ResultsThe sensitivity of the HHV-6 LAMP protocol without heat denaturation was 1000 copies/tube; with heat denaturation 10 copies/tube were detected. Three hundred serum samples from children with fever were analyzed. Using HHV-6 isolation as a definition of HHV-6 infection, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the HHV-6 LAMP method without DNA extraction were 95.5%, 95.2%, 94.0%, and 96.4%, respectively.ConclusionDirect detection of HHV-6 DNA in serum with a modified HHV-6 LAMP could be used for rapid diagnosis of exanthem subitum (ES).