In vitro neutralization of HSV-2: Inhibition by binding of normal IgG and purified Fc to virion Fc receptor (FcR)

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Abstract
We designed experiments to assess the effects of binding of the HSV-2 Fc receptor (FcR) to purified rabbit nonimmune IgG and purified Fc. Purified Fc (75 μg) or nonimmune IgG (100 μg) when bound to HSV-2 did not reduce infectivity but did protect the virions against thermal inactivation at 37°C. However, preincubation of these two reagents with HSV-2 virions significantly protected against neutralization by specific anti-HSV-2, F(ab')2 purified rabbit antiserum. The blockage of neutralization and protection against thermal inactivation afforded by FcR-Fc interaction on HSV-2 virions provide a tenable mechanism to explain viral persistence in an immune host.