Site specificity of epithelial irritants in the reactivation of herpes simplex virus

Ultraviolet light induces reactivation in a murine model of cutaneous herpes simplex virus-1 infection

We have developed a model of cutaneous herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) reactivation in SKH-1 hairless mice which closely mimics the condition in humans. Sixty plaque-forming units of HSV-1 strain 17 syn+ were applied to a superficially abraded area on the lateral body wall. More than 85% of mice developed primary HSV-1 infection characterized by a zosteriform pattern of cutaneous vesiculation and ulceration. Approximately one-third of mice with primary skin lesions succumbed to neurologic disease and in the remaining mice cutaneous lesions healed completely. Subsequent exposure of healed areas to two minimal inflammatory doses of UV resulted in recrudescence of skin lesions in the irradiated areas in almost 60% of mice. Lesions appeared approximately 4 days after irradiation, persisted for 3-5 days and then resolved completely. Reactivation rarely resulted in death due to neurologic disease. Primary lesions had a histologic appearance typical of cutaneous HSV-1 infection with vesicles and focal epithelial necrosis accompanied by the formation of epithelial syncytial cells and the presence of herpetic intranuclear inclusion bodies. In primary lesions HSV-1 was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction and culture. In reactivated lesions epithelial syncytia and inclusion bodies were not seen; however, virus was demonstrable by polymerase chain reaction and culture. Exposure of the uninfected side to UV did not stimulate disease recurrence suggesting that local effects of UV rather than systemic immunosuppression were responsible for reactivation. Reactivation could also be obtained with two minimal inflammatory doses of UV from a UV-340 light source which emits light approximating the solar spectrum.

Herpes simplex virus DNA in normal corneas: persistence without viral shedding from ganglia

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA has been shown to persist in the cornea not only after inoculation of experimental animals but also in surgical samples from patients with herpes keratitis. The further observation of corneal HSV-1 DNA in subjects without known HSV eye disease prompted the present study of the presence and distribution of HSV-1 in eye bank corneas. Prior to DNA extraction, the corneas were trephined, separating the central and peripheral cornea. With polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HSV-1 thymidine kinase (TK) and glycoprotein D (gD) gene sequences, we found HSV-1 in 10 of 24 eye bank corneas, from the 4 mm wide corneal rim in 8 eyes and from the 8 mm diameter central cornea in 2 eyes. In 9 subjects, both eyes were assayed, and HSV-1 was detected in 6 subjects. In only one subject was HSV-1 detected in both eyes and in only one subject was HSV-1 detected in the central and peripheral cornea of the same eye. The biological role of HSV-1 DNA corneal sequences is unknown. To investigate this, a rabbit animal model was established by transplantation of corneas containing viral DNA sequences in HSV-1 naive recipients. Followed for 5 months, there was no evidence of sheeding of HSV-1 in the tear film or seroconversion of the recipient rabbits. At the end of this time, HSV-1 DNA was detected in the corneal graft at a similar intensity to the PCR signal from the donor rims.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Interaction of herpes simplex virus type 2 with a rat glioma cell line

The interaction between herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) and two neural cell lines, mouse neuroblastoma (N1E-115) and rat glioma (C6-BU-1), was investigated. N1E-115 cells were permissive to both types of HSV. In C6-BU-1 cells, on the other hand, all the HSV-1 strains tested so far showed persistent infection, and the infectious virus of HSV-2 strains disappeared spontaneously. The HSV-2-infected C6-BU-1 cells were positive for HSV-2-specific DNA sequences, virus-specific RNA, HSV-2-specific antigens and thymidine kinase activity, when no infectious virus was detected. The HSV-2 was reactivated from those C6-BU-1 cells by superinfection with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), but not with UV-irradiated MCMV or human cytomegalovirus. The reactivated HSV-2 was identical to the parental virus, when examined by restriction endonuclease cleavage analysis.

Reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus infection by ultraviolet light: a human model

Infection with herpes simplex virus often results in a latent infection of local sensory ganglia and a disease characterized by periodic viral reactivation and mucocutaneous lesions. The factors that trigger reactivation in humans are still poorly defined. In our study, five patients with documented histories of recurrent herpes simplex virus infection on the buttocks or sacrum were exposed to three times their minimal erythema dose of ultraviolet light. Site-specific cutaneous herpes simplex virus infection occurred at 4.4 +/- 0.4 days after exposure to ultraviolet light in 8 of 13 attempts at reactivation. We conclude that ultraviolet light can reactivate herpes simplex virus under experimentally defined conditions. This model in humans should prove useful in evaluating the pathophysiology and prevention of viral reactivation.

Adrenergically induced recurrent HSV-1 corneal epithelial lesions

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ocular shedding and recurrent HSV-1 corneal epithelial lesions were assessed after ocular iontophoresis of 0.1% 6-hydroxydopamine followed by topical ocular instillation of 0.1% Propine in ten rabbits latently infected with HSV-1 strain McKrae. Iontophoresis was performed once at 0.5 mAmp for five minutes and 0.1% Propine drops were instilled four times a day beginning three days after iontophoresis and continuing for five consecutive days. Over an eight day period beginning three days after iontophoresis, ocular tear film samples were collected on Dacron swabs with care taken to avoid contact with the corneal epithelium. The corneas were examined daily for the presence of epithelial lesions using a slit-lamp biomicroscope. Three types of lesions were observed: deep punctate lesions, dendritic lesions, and geographic epithelial defects. The ratio of positive HSV-1 eye swabs to total eye swabs was 36/157 (23%). The ratio of total positive days of corneal lesions to total days was 40/160 (25%). There were 23 deep punctate lesions, 13 dendritic lesions, and four geographic epithelial defects. There were 24/36 (67%) positive HSV-1 eye swabs associated with concurrent HSV-1 corneal epithelial lesions. There were 105/121 (87%) negative eye swabs with concurrent negative slit-lamp examinations. Chi square analysis showed significant (p less than 0.001) association of HSV-1 positive eye swabs and HSV-1 corneal lesions. These results suggest that adrenergic ocular treatment may induce both HSV-1 ocular shedding (reactivation) and HSV-1 corneal epithelial lesions (recurrence) in rabbits latently infected with HSV-1 strain McKrae.