The relationship of graft survival and herpes simplex virus latency in recipient corneal buttons

Orhan Aydemir¹, Peykan Türkçüoglu¹, Yasemin Bulut², Ahmet Kalkan³

¹Firat University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Elazig, Turkey; ²Firat University School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Elazig, Turkey; ³Firat University School of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Elazig, Turkey

Purpose: To demonstrate relationship between herpes simplex virus (HSV) corneal latency and graft survival.

Methods: Prospective case control study. 28 recipient corneal buttons and donor cornea-scleral remnants were examined for HSV DNA with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). None of the recipient had a history of HSV infection. Serum samples of graft recipients were analyzed for the presence of anti-HSV IgG and IgM with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. All corneas were free of stromal scarring or epithelial defect before sampling and had an endothelial cell density of >2000 cells/mm².

Results: In twenty three patients (82%) anti-HSV IgG was detected in serum. In none of the recipients anti-HSV IgM was positive. HSV DNA was positive in six out of twenty eight (21%) of the recipient corneal buttons and none of the donor cornea-scleral remnants. In eighteen months follow-up period three out of six (50%) HSV DNA positive and one out of twenty-two (4.5%) HSV DNA negative patients experienced late endothelial failure that was statistically significantly different (p = 0.022).

Conclusion: Even without a history of HSV keratitis, presence of latent HSV virus in recipient cornea is an important risk factor for subsequent graft survival.

Keywords: herpes simplex virus, polymerase chain reaction, corneal latency, corneal graft survival