Possible role of HHV-6 in the enhanced severity of HSV-1 keratitis.
Rabbits were divided into three groups and infected with Human Herpesvirus Type 6 (HHV-6) or Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV 1). Infected eyes were swabbed and cultured every alternate day. At day 15 postinfection (PI), rabbits were sacrificed, trigeminal ganglia (TG) and corneas were analyzed for the presence or absence of viral DNA. The severity of keratitis was much greater in the eyes inoculated by both viruses and cultures from these animals were HSV-1 positive for 15 days PI as compared to 9 days PI for rabbits infected with HSV-1 alone. The corneas from infected eyes and the corresponding TGs from animals infected with HSV-1 were positive for HSV-1 DNA. HHV-6 DNA was recoverable from corneas of infected eyes, but not from the corresponding TGs. Although preliminary, these observations indicate that HHV-6 may enhance the HSV-1 expression in animals with dual infections.
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Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. jafari@ksu.edu.sa
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D011817:Rabbits