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

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 betaglobin gene was used as internal control to ensure extraction accuracy. Specific primers were used for amplification of the UL30 gene. In addition, level of antiHSV 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, antiHSV 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 antiHSV 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.