ASYMPTOMATIC VAGINAL HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS-INFECTIONS IN MICE - VIROLOGY AND PATHOHISTOLOGY

One of the causes of genital tract infections in humans are herpes sim plex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2). Although primary and recurren t infections can be clinically apparent and in part very serious, many infections are asymptomatic and result only in temporary genital shed ding of virus (recurrences). During our investigations of vaginitis, s train IES of HSV-1 produced an asymptomatic infection. Replication in the murine vaginal (vag.) epithelium as well as antibody formation aft er vag. infection was comparable to those of survivors after infection with highly virulent strains. Titration of liver, spleen, ovaries, ad renal glands, spinal cord, or brain after vag. IES infection revealed no virus, whereas after i.p. infection virus could be demonstrated in many organs examined. Histological examination with a DNA probe (in si tu hybridisation), HSV antibodies (immunohistochemistry), and haematox ylin and eosin (HE) staining showed only small focal HSV lesions of th e vaginal epithelium in early stages of the infection, never exceeding to the subepithelial tissue. Severe infiltrations and ulcerations aft er infection with highly virulent strains (17 syn(+), ER(-))could neve r be demonstrated after IES vag. infection. Identical replication rate s of both groups of HSV despite much greater areas of epithelial necro sis with the virulent strains may be explained by the large number of virus inactivating granulocytes induced by the virulent strains, thus inactivating the hypothetical higher virus load.