Detection of herpesvirus and adenovirus co-infections with diagnostic DNA-microarrays

In immunocompromised patients, the diagnosis of infections with herpesviruses and adenoviruses relies mainly on PCR amplification of viral genomic DNA from clinical samples. In the case of co-infections with two or more viruses, single amplification of viral DNA from clinical samples has proven to be time-consuming and expensive, hampering the efficient diagnosis and therapy of viral co-infections. In this study, a diagnostic DNA-microarray allowing simultaneous detection of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV 1/2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus-6 types A and B (HHV-6 A/B), and adenovirus in clinical samples was developed and validated. The assay displays a high analytical sensitivity (10 genome equivalents (GE)/reaction) and specificity, being cost-effective and time-saving. Because the DNA-microarray uses the same analytical conditions as real-time quantitative PCR, it can be used as a screening device for multiple viral infections, followed by selective viral load measurement depending on the clinical context. Those features make the DNA-microarray an attractive device for the management of viral infections in immunocompromised patients.