Replication of herpes simplex virus in human T lymphocytes

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common human pathogen.
• Understanding HSV tropism and replication is crucial for antiviral strategies.
• T lymphocytes play a role in immune responses to viral infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the replication of HSV in human T lymphocyte cultures.
• To identify factors influencing HSV replication in T cells.
• To characterize the permissiveness of T lymphocytes to HSV infection.

Main Methods:

• HSV infection of mitogen-stimulated and non-stimulated human T lymphocyte cultures.
• Adsorption efficiency assays.
• Infection of purified T-cell cultures and T-cell lines.
• Plaque-forming unit (PFU) assays.
• Infectious center assays and immunofluorescence staining.

Main Results:

• HSV replication was dependent on T lymphocyte prestimulation with mitogen.
• Virus adsorption was significantly lower in non-stimulated T cells.
• Replication was restricted to T lymphocytes, with high titers (10^7 PFU/ml) achieved.
• Syn- and syn+ HSV strains induced distinct cytopathic effects (CPE), including polykaryocyte formation.
• Only a small percentage (≤1%) of infected T cells actively replicated HSV, while ~5% expressed viral proteins.

Conclusions:

• T lymphocyte activation is essential for efficient HSV replication.
• Adsorption efficiency is a critical determinant of HSV tropism in T cells.
• A subset of HSV-infected T cells expresses viral proteins without active infectious virus production.