Persistent Herpes Simplex Virus Infection In Vitro with Cycles of Cell Destruction and Regrowth

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Abstract
The susceptibility of two Chinese hamster cell lines to herpes simplex virus (HSV) was studied from the time of their initiation through successive subcultures. The cells'' susceptibility to the cytocidal effects of HSV decreased as the number of cell passages increased. During the early cell passages, the decrease in cell susceptibility to HSV was characterized by an increased time after infection for complete cell destruction to occur, with a concomitant increase in the period when virus could be recovered from supernatant fluids. This was followed by a number of cell passages during which persistent HSV infections were established. The persistent infections were characterized by (i) cycles of virus synthesis and cell destruction followed by regrowth of the cells, (ii) initiation and maintenance under conditions optimal for cell growth in the absence of antibody, (iii) the cells'' ability to be passaged while still maintaining their cycling patterns, (iv) a relationship between virus synthesis and cell proliferation, and (v) inability of long-term treatment with antibody to "cure" the persistent infections. The unique characteristics of this HSV infection were compared with other persistent in vitro viral infections.