Both CD4+and CD8+T cells are involved in protection against HSV-1 induced corneal scarring

Aim-To determine the relative impact of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in pr otecting mice against ocular HSV-1 challenge. Methods-CD4+ T cell knockout mice (CD4-/- mice), CD8+ T cell knockout mice (CD8-/- mice), and mice depleted for CD4+ or CD8+ T cells by antibody (CD4 depleted and CD8+ depleted mice), were examined for their ability to withs tand HSV-1 ocular challenge. The parental mice for both knockout mice were C57BL/6J. Results-These results suggest that: (1) both CD4+ deficient mice (CD4-/- an d CD4+ depleted mice) and CD8+ deficient mice (CD8-/-, and CD8+ depleted mi ce) developed significantly more corneal scarring than their C57BL/6J paren tal strain; (2) the duration of virus clearance from the eyes of the CD4+ d eficient mice was 4 days longer than that of the CD8+ deficient mice; and ( 3) the severity of corneal scarring in the CD4+ deficient mice was approxim ately twice that of the CD8+ deficient mice. Conclusions-It was reported here that: (1) CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were both involved in protection against lethal ocular HSV-1 infection; and (2) CD4and CD8+ T cells were both involved in protection against HSV-1 induced cor neal scarring.