Prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1- and 2-specific antibodies among the acute, recurrent, and provoked types of female genital herpes

Sixty-eight sera from the acute, recurrent, and provoked types of female genital herpes were compared for the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 by immunodot assay using HSV glycoprotein G. In the HSV-l-isolated patients, no HSV-2 antibodies were detected, whereas in the HSV-2-isolated patients, HSV-1 seroprevalence was 9% for the acute type, 89% for the provoked type (P<0.005), and 55% for the recurrent type (P<0.05). The natural history of female genital herpes and the possible protective role of pre-existing antibodies in preventing the acquisition or clinical manifestation of a subsequent HSV infection are discussed.