Pathogenesis of Herpes Simplex Virus in Congenitally Athymic Mice: the Relative Roles of Cell-mediated and Humoral Immunity

Abstract

Athymic nude (nu/nu) mice were inoculated in the ear pinna with 104 plaque-forming units of herpes simplex virus type 1 (strain SC 16). Initially, the virus was observed to replicate in the pinna, spreading via a neurological route to the dorsal root ganglia, spinal cord, brain and adrenal glands. Following the transfer of lymphoid cells from day 7 herpesvirus-infected hairy immunocompetent donors into infected nude mice, virus was not isolated from the pinna and nervous system of the majority of the mice. The passive transfer of neutralizing polyclonal anti-herpesvirus serum or neutralizing monoclonal anti-gp D serum did not reduce infectivity in the pinna, but markedly reduced the amount of virus in the ganglia and spinal cord. Neutralizing antibodies apparently play an important role in restricting the movement of virus to the nervous system; cell-mediated immune mechanisms are essential for eliminating virus from the pinna.