title: Clinical efficacy of a herpes simplex subunit vaccine.
abstract: A DNA-free herpes simplex type 2 subunit vaccine was administered to 18 volunteers without past evidence of herpes simplex type 1 (HSV 1) or herpes simplex type 2 (HSV 2) infection, to 44 patients with severe recurrent genital HSV 2 infection, and to 15 patients with severe oral type 1 HSV recurrences. The vaccine elicited both humoral and cell-mediated immunity in 97% of the subjects without past HSV infections and boosted significantly the cell-mediated immunity and antibody titers in almost all the patients with recurrent HSV 1 or HSV 2. The vaccine elicited particularly the production of complement-dependent cytotoxic antibodies in 96% of the patients with recurrent HSV 2 infections. This might, at least partly, explain the clinical efficacy of the vaccine. Indeed, we observed a significant decrease (t test, p less than 0.01) in the attack rate of the recurrences and also a significant shortening of the time needed to complete healing of the lesions (t test, p less than 0.01).
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cappel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sprecher
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Cuyper
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Braekeleer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology*; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines