Cellular neuroimmunologic responses to ocular herpes simplex virus infection

Abstract

Infectious herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was cultivated from the trigeminal ganglion between days 3 and 21 after ocular infection. T lymphocytes were first seen 9 days after infection and were present in ganglia collected 21 days after corneal infection. Neuron cell bodies expressing cytoplasmic HSV-1 antigens were present in the ganglion by 6 days after infection and could be found up to 21 days after infection although the frequency was low and decreased with time. Neuron cell bodies containing nuclear viral DNA were seen with the same frequency as cells expressing cytoplasmic viral antigens. T lymphocytes were seen surrounding neuron cell bodies some of which contained either cytoplasmic HSV-1 antigens or nuclear HSV-1 DNA.