title: Ocular herpes simplex virus: how are latency, reactivation, recurrent disease and therapy interrelated?
abstract: Most humans are infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 in early childhood and remain latently infected throughout life. While most individuals have mild or no symptoms, some will develop destructive HSV keratitis. Ocular infection with HSV-1 and its associated sequelae account for the majority of corneal blindness in industrialized nations. Neuronal latency in the peripheral ganglia is established when transcription of the viral genome is repressed (silenced) except for the latency-associated transcripts and microRNAs. The functions of latency-associated transcripts have been investigated since 1987. Roles have been suggested relating to reactivation, establishment of latency, neuronal protection, antiapoptosis, apoptosis, virulence and asymptomatic shedding. Here, we review HSV-1 latent infections, reactivation, recurrent disease and antiviral therapies for the ocular HSV diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Lena J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Al-Dujaili
authors.forename: Patrick P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Clerkin
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clement
authors.forename: Harris E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: McFerrin
authors.forename: Partha S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.forename: Emily D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Varnell
authors.forename: Herbert E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D012008:Recurrence; D014775:Virus Activation; D017735:Virus Latency
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents