Cell-mediated immunity in Herpesvirus hominis infections

The cell-mediated and antibody responses to Herpesvirus hominis type 1 were investigated in patients with primary and recurrent herpetic infections. Stimulation of lymphocyte transformation with the virus and the complement fixing antibody titre did not differ significantly between patients and controls. However, macrophage migration inhibition and lymphocyte cytotoxicity were impaired in patients. The defects were specific to H. hominis, as Candida oblicans, which was used as an unrelated antigen, failed to show a similar abnormality. These results and preliminary sequential studies suggest that the susceptibility to recurrent herpesvirus infection may be due to an impaired production of macrophage migration inhibition factor and lymphocyte cytotoxicity in the presence of intact lymphocyte sensitization and antibody formation.