Mechanism of Persistent Herpes Simplex Virus Infection In Vitro

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Abstract
Studies are reported relating to the mechanism of persistent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in Chinese hamster cells. Persistent infections were characterized by progressive changes with time in the properties of both the cells and the virus. Changes in the properties of the cells were evident by their increased resistance to HSV. Changes in the properties of the virus were host cell-induced, as evidenced by an increase in its virulence for resistant cells. It is suggested that changes in the infective and/or antigenic properties of HSV may be a normal sequelae following adaptation to less permissive cells. Persistent HSV infections were characterized by restrictive lesions, whereby cytopathic effects and virus synthesis were initiated but ultimately terminated. Termination of virus-induced lesions may have resulted from viral interference and/or the elaboration of an intracellular viral-interfering factor. The maintenance of persistent HSV infection apparently depended on a genetically determined cell-virus equilibrium, which precluded the requirement for external supportive factors. Finally, the properties of the persistent in vitro infections are discussed with relation to possible analogies to recurrent herpes infection in humans.

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