Mechanism of Latency and its Control in Herpesvirus Infections

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The mechanisms of latent infection and reactivation from latency of herpesviruses, especially herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella zoster virus(VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpes virus No.6 (HHV-6) were investigated as follows;Immune defense mechanism against HSV infection was analysed using SCID and nude mice. One of these studies showed that HSV could latently infect in these immunocompromised mice and it was reactivated by pregnancy (Mori).To distinguish HSV-1 from HSV-2 infection, type-specific DNA regions were searched for and the basic conditions for DNA diagnosis of them were determined (Kurimura).A comparison between strains of HSV-1 was performed as for the ability of latent infection and reactivation (Nii).The nervous system as target site of HSV infection and latency was analysed in detail (Kurata).The mode of latent infection and reactivation of HHV-6 and VZV was analysed in vitro and in vivo. For this purpose, the existence of these viruses in human was examined by PRC. The results showed that HHV-6 DNA was detected both in CD4^+ lymphocytes and in macrophages during the acute phase of exanthem subitum and it was detected only in macrophages during the recovery phase of the disease (Tskahashi).The target organs and the mode of latent infection of human CMV were investigated by PCR (Furukawa).The titer of complement-dependent neutralizing antibodies against HCMV was examined during pregnancy in which HCMV become to be excreted from the cervix of the uterus and the influence of their change on reactivation of the virus was discussed (Tanaka).The significance of CMV infection in Sjogren's syndrome was examined by analysing autoimmune antibodies (Shimizu).Molecular analysis of lethal and persistent infections was performed by using attenuated mouse CMV (Minamishima).