The relationship of corneal Langerhans cells to herpes simplex antigens during dendritic keratitis

The corneal migration and topographic distribution of Langerhans cells (LC) in relation to herpes simplex virus antigens was studied during the course of dendritic keratitis in inbred mice. Corneal epithelial sheets from infected mice at selected time points were "double stained" for Ia-positive Langerhans cells and HSV antigens, using a sequential avidin biotin immunoperoxidase and glucose oxidase technique. The amount of HSV antigen was maximum at day 2 paralleling the clinical time course, with most corneal epithelium HSV antigen negative by day 8. LC were seen in peripheral corneas by day 2 and in paracentral and central cornea by day 8, with peak numbers detected between days 8 and 11 post-infection. Although HSV antigens and LC were simultaneously detected within corneal epithelium, LC were not observed in anatomic juxtaposition to HSV antigens, even after reinoculation of infected corneas with HSV on day 14 following the primary infection. These data suggest that local factors in the corneal epithelium other than HSV antigens per se may be chemotactic for LC during the course of dendritic keratitis.