Ocular reactivation phenotype of HSV-1 strain F(MP)E, a corticosteroid-sensitive strain.
OBJECTIVE
Elucidate the ocular reactivation of HSV-1 strain F(MP)E.


METHODS
Rabbit corneas were infected with HSV-1 strains McKrae and F(MP)E. Latency was established and rabbits were treated with epinephrine iontophoresis or corticosteroid injection (immunosuppression). Cultured tear films were used to determine the presence of infectious virus. Eyes of immunosuppressed rabbits were also examined by slit lamp biomicroscopy. Trigeminal ganglia were co-cultured on indicator cells at time of sacrifice for detection of virus. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the number of viral genome copies in the trigeminal ganglia.


RESULTS
Acute infections by strains McKrae and F(MP)E were the same. Ocular reactivation of strain F(MP)E by epinephrine iontophoresis was significantly reduced compared to McKrae (P </= 0.0001), but was not significantly different from McKrae after corticosteroid injection (P > 0.29). Slit lamp examination following corticosteroid injection showed a correlation of recurrent herpetic lesions with infectious virus in tear film swabs for both McKrae and F(MP)E. Trigeminal ganglia from rabbits latently infected with each strain and each method of induced reactivation resulted in infectious virus (P >/= 0.69). Genome copies for both strains were present and were highly variable.


CONCLUSIONS
HSV-1 strain F(MP)E has low reactivation following epinephrine iontophoresis compared to McKrae, but has high reactivation like McKrae in response to corticosteroids. The difference in reactivation following epinephrine iontophoresis is not due to a difference in the establishment of latency.
Marquart
Mary
M
Department of Ophthalmology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA. mmarqul@suhsc.edu
Bhattacharjee
Partha
P
Zheng
Xiaodong
X
Kaufman
Herbert
H
Thompson
Hilary
H
Varnell
Emily
E
Hill
James
J
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005123:Eye / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007267:Injections; D007478:Iontophoresis; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010641:Phenotype; D011817:Rabbits; D012008:Recurrence; D013045:Species Specificity; D013666:Tears / Q000821:virology; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D017735:Virus Latency
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004837:Epinephrine