VIRUS INFECTIONS IN THE EYE

我们对各种病毒学和免疫病理学过程的研究， 当病毒在眼部微环境中复制时发生， 三个方面：（1）眼和视神经细胞的冠状病毒感染; (2)病毒在人类疾病中可能扮演的角色;及（3）抗病毒 细胞因子和药物的治疗作用。 第四个研究领域 在过去的一年里，开始了分子诊断的评估， 和人类巨细胞病毒感染的发病机制。 我们已经确定，鼠冠状病毒可以诱导眼 疾病，并且可以用作研究视网膜病变的模型系统。 退化性疾病 这种型号有许多独特的特点。 的 病毒能够在存在以下物质的情况下诱导急性感染 轻度视网膜血管炎症。 最初的视网膜损伤之后， 通过清除病毒和进行性视网膜变性， 在病毒消失几个月后 体外研究和电子 原位感染的显微镜评价表明， 主要在Muller细胞中复制，也可以在 视网膜色素上皮（RPE）和感光细胞。 这些 结果表明，该病毒可以诱导生化和 视网膜的形态变化，持续和进展时间长 在病毒被检测出来之后 这种疾病可能被认为是一种模式 用于色素上皮的退行性疾病， 人类的光感受器 需要有效的药物治疗和预防疱疹病毒 和其他病毒性疾病的重要性日益增加。 我们发现 白细胞调节素，一种天然存在的免疫细胞因子， 不仅增加了药物阿昔洛韦的抗病毒作用， 直接抑制单纯疱疹病毒复制。 这些发现， 证明了免疫疗法和化疗的联合 可产生实质性抑制疱疹病毒复制， 采用这一办法处理下列问题的理由： 病毒感染。

Our studies of various virologic and immunopathologic processes that occur when viruses replicate in the ocular microenvironment comprise three areas: (1) coronavirus infection in ocular and optic nerve cells; (2) the possible roles of viruses in human diseases; and (3) antiviral therapeutic actions of cytokines and drugs. A fourth area of study initiated during the past year is the evaluation of molecular diagnosis and pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus infections in man. We have established that murine coronavirus can induce ocular disease and may be used as a model system for studying retinal degenerative diseases. This model has many unique features. The virus is capable of inducing an acute infection in the presence of mild retinal vascular inflammation. Initial retinal damage is followed by clearance of the virus and progressive retinal degeneration, even months after the virus is gone. In vitro studies and electron microscopic evaluation of in situ infection indicate that the virus replicates predominantly in Muller cells and can also be detected in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptor cells. These results demonstrate that the virus can induce biochemical and morphological changes in the retina that persist and progress long after the virus is detectable. This disease may be considered a model for degenerative diseases of the pigment epithelium and photoreceptors in humans. The need for effective drug treatment and prevention of herpes virus and other viral diseases has assumed growing importance. We found that leukoregulin, a naturally occurring immunologic cytokine, not only increases the antiviral actions of the drug acyclovir but also directly inhibits herpes simplex virus replication. These findings, which demonstrate that combination immunotherapy and chemotherapy can produce substantial inhibition of herpes virus replication, provide a rationale for the application of this approach to the treatment of virus infections.