EXPRESSION OF HERPES-SIMPLEX ASSOCIATED ANTIGENS IN OCULAR-TISSUES FOLLOWING INDUCED HERPETIC ANTERIOR UVEITIS

Timing and distribution of the expression of herpes simplex virus, typ e 1, associated antigen (HSV-1 AA) positive cells were studied immunoh istochemically, following unilateral inoculation of HFV-1 into the ant erior chamber of BALB/c mice. Inflammatory cells appeared in the corne al limbus, the anterior chamber angle, and Schlemm's canal of the inoc ulated eyes within 24 hours. HSV-AA positive cells developed in this p eriod in the non-pigmented epithelium (which corresponds to the human pigmented epithelium) of the iris and the corneal endothelium; they al so appeared in the ciliary body by the day 3 and remained positive unt il day 7. Apparent involvement of the posterior segment of the eye was seen in only 2 of the 9 inoculated eyes on day 3. However, once invas ion of the posterior segment has occurred, there appears to be a stron ger reaction in the retinal non-pigmented epithelial (RnPE) layer, whi ch corresponds to the human retinal pigmented epithelium, than in the sensory retina.