Immunotherapy and drugs in neonatal disseminated herpes simplex virus type 2 infections: a mouse model

Abstract

Intranasal infection of newborn mice with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was used as a model simulating disseminated HSV-2 infections in newborn humans. Mice infected with 1000 PFU’s of HSV-2 were treated with one of the following regimens and survival compared to saline-treated controls: (1) human immune globulin containing HSV-2 antibody (HIG) (2) adenine arabinoside (ara-A) alone, and combined with HIG (3) levamisole alone, and combined with HIG, and (4) trimethoprim. HIG, injected 1 hour after infection, increased survival (34% vs 3% in controls, Pin vivo, although trimethoprim and co-trimoxazole each inhibited HSV-2 replication in vitro. These data suggest that passive immunization and/or antiviral chemotherapy should be considered in the treatment of HSV-2 infections in humans.