Abstract
To evaluate whether herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) replicates in freshly isolated human mononuclear cells (HMNC) and results in cellmediated immunity, HMNC purified from the peripheral blood of a healthy HSV‐1‐seronegative individual were infected with HSV‐1 (KOS strain). The kinetic data indicated that HSV‐1 particles were detected in HMNC at 9 hr postinfection, and the highest HSV‐1 titer was obtained at 24 hr postinfection. It was found that the newly synthesized HSV‐1 DNA increased in HMNC corresponding to the duration of time postinfection. The HSV‐1 tk mRNA was detected in HSV‐1‐infected HMNC by Northern blot analysis. The Western blot analysis indicated that the HSV‐1 infected HMNC could express the viral proteins. These results suggest that HSV‐1 replicates in freshly isolated HMNC and expresses its DNA, RNA, and proteins. Interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) production and cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) were also determined in HSV‐1‐infected HMNC but were lower than those found in uninfected HMNC. On the other hand, HSV‐1 DNA was detectable in HMNC of patients suffering from recurrent HSV‐1 infection. The results show that, in the recrudescent phase, the patients'; HMNC contain more HSV‐1 DNA than in the convalescent phase. We conclude that the impairments of immune responses are related to the infection of HMNC by HSV‐1.