Investigation of Frequency of Herpes Simplex Virus in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Individuals by PCR and ELISA

  ABSTRACT         Background and Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated the relationship between viral infections and risk of developing type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of Herpes simplex virus (HSV) in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy control individuals using PCR and ELISA.           Methods: Blood samples were taken from 180 diabetic patients and 187 healthy controls referred to the Pasteur medical laboratory in Tonekabon, in 2016. Human beta-globin gene was used as internal control to ensure extraction accuracy. Specific primers were used for amplification of the UL30 gene. In addition, level of anti-HSV IgG antibody was measured using a commercial ELISA kit (Euroimmun, Germany).          Results: DNA of HSV was found in the samples of 11 patients (6.1%) and five healthy controls (2.7%). In addition, anti-HSV IgG was found in the samples of 117 patients (65%) and 108 healthy controls (57.75%). There was a statistically significant relationship between frequency of anti-HSV IgG and diabetes.           Conclusion: Similar to previous studies, the present study demonstrated a relationship between frequency of HSV infection and type 2 diabetes. However, further studies should be performed to eliminate the effect of other risk factors to help clarify the exact role of viral infections in increasing the risk of diabetes.             Keywords: Diabetes, Herpes Simplex Virus, ELISA, PCR.