Depressed specific cell mediated immunity to herpes simplex virus type 1 in patients with recurrent herpes labialis

Abstract

Cell mediated immunity to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1) was assessed by a lymphocytotoxicity 51Cr release microassay procedure, using the MA 160 human prostatic adenoma cell line chronically infected with HSV 1 and its parent cell line as control. The specific immune release mean ± standard deviation for nine asymptomatic patients with recurrent HSV 1 infections was 13.7 ± 8.1%, compared to 28.9 ± 8.4% in seven normal seropositive controls (P < 0.01). In four additional patients studied serially, the cell mediated immunity was significantly increased during the recrudescence of herpetic infection, with a mean specific immune release value of 51.7 ± 27.8%, compared to 8.7 ± 1.5% during the convalescent period 2 to 10 weeks later (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that patients with recurrent HSV 1 infections have vigorous cellular immune responses during the acute phase but a specific impairment of cell mediated immunity during the quiescent period, which may in part account for their susceptibility to recurrent herpetic infections.