RECOMBINANT VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS GLYCOPROTEIN-E AND GLYCOPROTEIN-I - IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND CLEARANCE OF VIRUS IN A GUINEA-PIG MODELOF CHRONIC UVEITIS

Guinea pigs immunized with recombinant varicella-zoster virus (VZV) gl ycoproteins E (gE) and I(gI)developed antigen-specific antibodies in t he sera, vitreous, and conjunctival washes. Sera from immunized animal s neutralized both cell-free and cell-associated VZV, and peripheral b lood lymphocytes proliferated in vitro in response to recombinant gE a nd gI and to antigens from VZV-infected cells. Immunized guinea pigs w ere inoculated intravitreally with VZV, which induces chronic uveitis. VZV DNA was more rapidly cleared and infectious VZV was isolated less frequently from the retinas of animals immunized with gE and gI compa red with that in controls receiving adjuvant alone. Nonetheless, cellu lar infiltrates in the vitreous, retina, and choroid were prevalent 21 days after VZV inoculation in both the adjuvant-alone- and gE-gI-immu nized animals. Immunization with VZV gE and gI induced potent humoral and cellular responses that accelerated the clearance of VZV DNA and m ay neutralize virus within the eye.