Corneal infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 leads to autoimmune responses in rats

Lewis rats were infected by corneal scarification with HSV type 1 type strain F virus. The animals showed symptoms of infection and inflammatory infiltrates of the eye but little mortality. After one month, immune responses to viral and autoantigens were examined. It was shown that lymph node cells proliferated to the myelin antigen, proteolipoprotein, and the HSV antigen, glycoprotein D, but showed depressed responses to antigens of the eye, specifically corneal and retinal antigens. Splenic cells showed small but significant responses to antigens of the eye, indicating immune deviation similar to that previously demonstrated in ACAID, where antigen had been injected into the anterior chamber of the eye.