Patterns of herpes simplex keratitis in inbred mice

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Virology
• Immunology

Background:

• Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV) causes keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea.
• The severity of HSV keratitis can range from self-limited disease to severe necrotizing stromal keratitis.
• Host factors and viral characteristics are known to influence disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the course of HSV keratitis in different inbred mouse strains infected with various HSV isolates.
• To determine the influence of host genetics and viral factors on the development of severe stromal keratitis.
• To explore the in vitro replication of HSV in corneal cells from resistant and susceptible mouse strains.

Main Methods:

• Infection of three inbred mouse strains with four different HSV isolates.
• Assessment of ocular disease severity and mortality.
• Genetic crosses between resistant and susceptible mouse strains to evaluate inheritance patterns.
• In vitro replication assays using corneal stromal keratocytes and embryo fibroblasts.

Main Results:

• Ocular disease severity and mortality were dependent on both the specific HSV isolate and the host mouse strain.
• The progression from dendritic keratitis to necrotizing stromal keratitis varied significantly among virus-host strain combinations.
• F1 offspring from crosses between resistant and susceptible mice exhibited resistance, indicating dominant inheritance of resistance.
• HSV replicated more efficiently in corneal stromal keratocytes from susceptible mice compared to those from resistant mice.

Conclusions:

• Both viral and host factors contribute to susceptibility to HSV stromal keratitis.
• Genetic factors in the host play a significant role in determining the severity of HSV keratitis.
• Corneal stromal keratocytes are a relevant cell type for studying host susceptibility to HSV keratitis.