SEQUENTIAL CHANGES IN LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES TO HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT HERPETIC INFECTION

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the sequential changes in lymphocyte responses to herpes simplex virus in patients with recurrent herpetic infection. It reviews a study performed on the immune responses in 11 patients with recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) and 12 controls matched for age, sex, and presence of complement fixing herpes simplex virus (HSV) antibodies. In this study, peripheral blood lymphocytes were either cultured unfractionated (UF) or separated into T cells and B-enriched cells using nylon wool columns. Lymphocyte transformation and macrophage migration inhibition were also assessed. UF lymphocytes from patients with RHL gave a significantly higher response to HSV antigen than controls. The response to Candida antigen was similar, but they responded less well to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The T cells from controls showed similar responses to the UF cells. T cells from patients with RHL had significantly decreased responses to HSV but a similar response to Candida . Supernatants from UF lymphocyte cultures stimulated by HSV inhibited macrophage migration, but supernatants of T cells from patients with a lesion did not.B-cell enriched cultures did not respond significantly to HSV or other antigens in any of the groups. The chapter also discusses a transient T-cell defect that is evident during herpetic infection, only after cell separation. It is possible that macrophage or B-cell modulation of the impaired T-cell function occurs in UF cells, but is disturbed by cell separation.