Monoclonal antibodies to herpes simplex viruses: use in antigenic typing and rapid diagnosis.

Four monoclonal antibodies that react specifically with cells infected with herpes simplex viruses (HSV) are described. One of these antibodies (3-G11) reacts with a glyco-protein C complex (molecular weight, 80,000 and 120,000) that is specific for HSV type 1, while the other three antibodies (6-A6, 6-E12, and 6-H11) react with proteins that are specific for HSV type 2 and that have molecular weights of 140,000, 55,000, and 38,000, respectively. The monoclonal antibodies possessed sufficient specificity to allow rapid serotyping of HSV obtained either from infected cells in culture or directly from patients. In immunofluorescence tests the antibodies were used to serotype 263 culture isolates of HSV, while in preliminary tests performed with specimens obtained directly from patients, the antibodies demonstrated 88% of the sensitivity of tissue culture isolation.