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Ocular reactivation phenotype of HSV-1 strain F(MP)E, a corticosteroid-sensitive strain
Mary Marquart1, Partha Bhattacharjee, Xiaodong Zheng
1Department of Ophthalmology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA. mmarqul@suhsc.edu
Purpose:
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 0.29). 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.
Insights
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) strain F(MP)E shows reduced ocular reactivation with epinephrine but similar reactivation to strain McKrae with corticosteroids. Latency establishment is not the cause of this difference.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes ocular infections and latency in the trigeminal ganglia.
- Understanding viral strain differences in reactivation is crucial for managing recurrent ocular herpes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the ocular reactivation patterns of HSV-1 strain F(MP)E in a rabbit model.
- To compare the reactivation of HSV-1 strain F(MP)E with a known strain (McKrae) under different induction methods.
Main Methods:
- Rabbit corneas were infected with HSV-1 strains McKrae and F(MP)E.
- Latency was established, followed by induction of reactivation using epinephrine iontophoresis or corticosteroid injection.
- Infectious virus presence was determined in tear films and trigeminal ganglia co-cultures.
- Viral genome copies in trigeminal ganglia were quantified using real-time PCR.
Main Results:
- Both HSV-1 strains caused similar acute infections.
- Ocular reactivation of F(MP)E was significantly reduced by epinephrine compared to McKrae (P ≤ 0.0001).
- Reactivation by corticosteroids was not significantly different between strains (P > 0.29).
- Infectious virus was detected in trigeminal ganglia for both strains and reactivation methods.
Conclusions:
- HSV-1 strain F(MP)E exhibits lower reactivation via epinephrine iontophoresis compared to McKrae.
- Strain F(MP)E shows high reactivation similar to McKrae in response to corticosteroids.
- The differing reactivation patterns are not attributable to differences in latency establishment.