Herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 infection in human oral mucosa in culture

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Abstract
To examine the sensitivity of human oral mucosa to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) and type 2 (HSV‐2) infection, human gingival mucosa explants were infected with either HSV‐1 or HSV‐2 in vitro and the expression of virus specific antigen was examined by the immunofluorescent antibody technique. HSV‐2 antigen was found in the basement membrane, basal cell layer and lower prickle cell layer. This finding was consistent with the HSV‐1 infection. Electron microscopic study revealed the presence of nucleocapsids and enveloped virus particles in the basal cells of HSV‐2‐infected organ cultures. These findings indicate that human gingival mucosa is sensitive to infection with HSV‐2, as well as HSV‐1, and that the virus may replicate in the undifferentiated epithelial cells of mucosal epithelium.