Conventional tube cell culture compared with centrifugal inoculation of MRC-5 cells and staining with monoclonal antibodies for detection of herpes simplex virus in clinical specimens.

During a 15-month period, two methods for detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in 699 clinical specimens were compared: (i) 24-well-plate centrifugation (24WPC) with MRC-5 cells and staining with type-specific monoclonal antibodies (Syva Co., Palo Alto, Calif.) after incubation for 16 to 18 h and (ii) conventional tube cell culture with primary rabbit kidney and A549 cells. HSV was identified by conventional tube cell culture in 165 (24%) of 699 specimens and by the 24WPC method in 116 (17%) of 699 specimens. One specimen was positive for HSV by the 24WPC method alone, compared with 50 specimens positive only by conventional cell culture (P less than 0.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the 24WPC technique with MRC-5 cells for detection of HSV in clinical specimens were 70, 99.8, 99, and 91%, respectively. Centrifugal inoculation of MRC-5 cells in 24-well plates and staining with monoclonal antibodies after incubation for 16 to 18 h is an insensitive means of detecting HSV in clinical specimens and should not replace conventional tube cell culture with primary rabbit kidney cells.