Rapid Etiologic Diagnosis of Herpes Virus Infections in Children

Background: Human herpes viruses, as common viruses, not only affect mainly the skin, mucosa, and nervous tissue, but also can cause a variety of serious diseases in children. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of multiplex PCR-based DNA microarray technology in comparison with PCR method and IgM ELISA. Methods: A total of 108 blood samples from children with viral infections were collected and analyzed by multiplex PCR-based DNA microarray technology, PCR method, and IgM ELISA. Results: Of 108 specimens, 16 were positive which gave a positive rate of 14.8%. Most of the patients were infected with EBV and HCMV. The sensitivity and specificity of this technology for detecting human herpes viruses were 100% when compared to PCR method. The crude agreement between multiplex PCR-based DNA microarray technology and IgM ELISA for detecting human herpes viruses was 95.4%. Conclusions: The results indicated that multiplex PCR-based DNA microarray technology is a rapid auxiliary diagnostic method for simultaneous detection of the seven common herpes viruses with high sensitivity and specificity.