STUDY ON INFECTIOUS ROUTE OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS FROM MUCOSA TO NERVOUS TISSUES

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Herpes simplex virus (HSV) initially infects the, squamous cell epithelium of mucosa and skin, then, invade the peripheral nervous fibers in the subepithelial tissues at primary infection. Thereafter, HSV ascends through the nerve fibers to the soma of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). In CNS HSV becomes to fall in a latent condition by host immune response. In this study we focused on the route of HSV infection from the squamous cell epithelium to the nervous fibers, in comparison with that of poliovirus because of similar usage of virus receptors.Various strains of HSV-2 including US2-deleted and its revertant recombinants, were inoculated on the corneal and vaginal surface of BALB/c mice. These mice were examined for their manifestations and histopathological changes. In addition, the. expression of immediate early protein (US1) was also investigated with respect to epithelial, subepithelial and nervous stages of viral infection and host immune responses.By immunohistochemical detection of US1 expression in formalin-fixed paraffin sections of HSV-2 inoculated mice, we have succeeded to orient the early infected cells, in which US1 antigen was detected in their nuclei. From this analysis we could demonstrate HSV-2 infection, in Schwann cells and satellite cells around the ganglion cells. In addition, the infection in Schwann cells without marked cellular destruction in the posterior column in the white matter of spinal cord is important to consider the pathogenesis of HSV-2 meningitis. Further study, we can reveal the difference of HSV-1 and HSV-2 after mucosal infection.