Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) plaque enlargement by neutralizing sera

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology

Background:

• Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes significant human disease.
• Neutralizing antibodies play a crucial role in controlling HSV-1 infection.
• Understanding antibody activity against different HSV-1 variants is key to developing effective therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the inhibitory activity of neutralizing sera on Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) plaque enlargement (PE).
• To compare the activity of sera against different HSV-1 variants (S and L) and laboratory strains.
• To determine if patient history (healthy vs. recurrent) influences serum inhibitory activity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the S variant of low passage clinical isolates for detecting inhibitory activity of neutralizing sera on HSV-1 plaque enlargement (PE).
• Assessed serum activity on the PE of the L variant (in vitro conversion product of the S variant) and laboratory strains (HSV-1 (F) and (MP)).

Main Results:

• Neutralizing sera demonstrated significant inhibitory activity on the plaque enlargement (PE) of the S variant of HSV-1.
• The same sera exhibited minimal to no inhibitory activity on the PE of the L variant and laboratory strains (HSV-1 (F) and (MP)).
• No significant difference in inhibitory activity was observed between sera from healthy individuals and those with a history of HSV-1 recurrence.

Conclusions:

• The S variant of HSV-1 is a reliable model for detecting neutralizing antibody activity against plaque enlargement.
• Antibody responses may differ significantly between clinical isolates and laboratory strains of HSV-1.
• Patient history of recurrence does not appear to influence the measured inhibitory activity of sera against these HSV-1 variants.