Herpetic keratitis in inbred mice

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Virology
• Immunology

Background:

• Herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) is a significant cause of blindness.
• Understanding the genetic basis of HSK is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the susceptibility of different inbred mouse strains to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) induced keratitis.
• To correlate corneal disease severity with systemic infection susceptibility in inbred mice.

Main Methods:

• Four inbred mouse strains (BALB/c, DBA/2, C3H, C57BL/6) were inoculated in the cornea with HSV-1 (RE strain).
• Corneal disease was assessed using a 0-5 severity scale over 3 weeks.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare disease scores between strains.

Main Results:

• DBA/2 mice exhibited the highest mean corneal score (4.0), indicating severe necrotizing stromal keratitis.
• BALB/c mice showed moderate keratitis (2.2), C3H mice had mild keratitis (0.7), and C57BL/6 mice displayed minimal disease (0.15).
• Significant differences in disease severity were observed (P<0.05), except between C3H and C57BL/6 strains.

Conclusions:

• Corneal disease severity in response to HSV-1 infection correlates with the known susceptibility of these inbred mouse strains to systemic infection.
• Inbred mouse models are valuable for studying the genetic and immunological underpinnings of herpetic stromal keratitis.