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Trauma to the skin causes recurrence of herpes simplex in the mouse
Abstract:
Mild trauma was induced in the skin of mice latently infected with herpes simplex virus type I by stripping the originally infected ear with cellophane tape. Recurrent herpes simplex developed at this site 2 to 5 days later. It was detected clinically by the development of erythema and vesicles and by the appearance of virus in the skin. On any one occasion about 30% of mice showed reactivated disease and increasing the severity of trauma did not increase this proportion. However the majority of animals developed reactivated disease on some occasions when stripping was repeated at monthly intervals. The results are discussed in relation to the skin trigger theory of reactivation of herpes simplex.
Insights
Mild skin trauma can reactivate latent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infections in mice. Repeated trauma increases the likelihood of recurrent disease, supporting the skin trigger theory for HSV-1 reactivation.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) establishes lifelong latent infections in sensory neurons.
- Reactivation of latent HSV-1 can lead to recurrent clinical disease, often triggered by external stimuli.
- The role of skin-specific trauma as a trigger for HSV-1 reactivation remains an area of investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of mild skin trauma as a trigger for recurrent herpes simplex in a mouse model.
- To determine if the severity of trauma influences the rate of reactivation.
- To assess the impact of repeated trauma over time on the frequency of recurrent disease.
Main Methods:
- Latent HSV-1 infection was established in the ears of mice.
- Mild trauma was induced by cellophane tape stripping of the infected ear.
- Recurrent disease was monitored clinically (erythema, vesicles) and virologically (virus detection).
Main Results:
- Mild skin trauma induced recurrent herpes simplex in approximately 30% of mice per event.
- Increasing the severity of trauma did not increase the proportion of mice with reactivated disease.
- Repeated monthly trauma led to the majority of animals developing reactivated disease over time.
Conclusions:
- Mild, repeated skin trauma is sufficient to induce recurrent herpes simplex in latently infected mice.
- The frequency of reactivation is more dependent on repeated exposure to the trigger than trauma severity.
- These findings support the 'skin trigger theory' for the reactivation of latent HSV-1 infections.