Table 1.
HSV CNS infection: results of laboratory investigations
| CSF | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient no. | WBC (lymphocytes)/RBC per μl | Protein (g/l) | Viral DNA* | Intrathecal antibody synthesis |
Seroconversion to IgG or IgM† |
| 1 | 7 (NT)/1310 | 0.8 | HSV‡ | NT | NT |
| 2 | 35 (35)/3500 | 0.55 | HSV‡ | NT | NT |
| 3 | 25 (25)/3 | 0.47 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 4 | 23 (18)/<1 | 0.6 | Negative | NT | Yes |
| 5 | 93 (93)/295 | 0.5 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 6 | 2 (NT)/12 | 0.68 | HSV‡ | NT | Yes |
| 7 | 560 (280)/900§ | 1.03 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 8 | 7 (NT)/50 | 0.34 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 9 | 70 (70)/40 | 0.32 | Negative | Yes | NT |
| 10 | 21 (21)/115 | 1.01 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 11 | 97 (NK)/50¶ | 1.0 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 12 | 120 (85)/2510 | NT | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 13 | NT | NT | NT | NT | Yes |
| 14 | <1 (<1)/50 | 0.23 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 15 | <1 (<1)/<1 | NK | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 16 | 1 (1)/10 | 0.14 | HSV-1 | NT | NT |
| 17 | NK (NK)/NK | NK | HSV‡ | NT | NT |
| 18 | NT | NT | NT | NT | Yes |
| 19 | 10 (10)/37** | 1.06 | HSV‡ | NT | NT |
*
Tested for by PCR.
†
Within 2 weeks of onset of serious neurological disease.
‡
Virus not typed.
§
First CSF nothing abnormal detected.
¶
First CSF clotted.
*
*First sample WBC <1/RBC per μl 127.
CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; HSV, herpes simplex virus; NK, not known; NT, not tested; RBC, red blood cell; WBC, white blood cell.