IMMUNE-RESPONSES TO VAGINAL OR SYSTEMIC INFECTION OF BALB-C MICE WITH HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-2

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 119  (6) , 2030-2036
Abstract
The temporal relationships among the humoral and cellular immune responses were defined in BALB/c mice after vaginal or systemic infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). After vaginal infection, mice showed evidence of clinical vaginitis on days 4-6 and HSV-2 replication was detected locally in the vaginal secretions, cervix, vagina and uterus before the virus subsequently spread to the CNS. Death from encephalitis occurred 7-10 days after infection. Vaginal infection was associated with significant delayed type hypersensitivity and splenic proliferative cell-mediated immune responses which appeared during the acute infection and waned by 3 wk. There was almost no evidence of a systemic neutralizing antibody response at any time after vaginal infection. In contrast to the local vaginal infection, systemic i.v. HSV-2 infection induced a humoral response as well as the 2 cellular immune responses. Although both cellular immune responses appeared during the acute infection (days 6-14) and persisted for approximately 5 wk, the humoral response appeared in surviving animals and persisted for at least 4 mo. Vaginal HSV-2 infection was associated primarily with transient cellular immune responses, whereas i.v. HSV-2 infection induced prolonged systemic humoral and cellular immune responses.