Corneal macrophage infiltrates following ocular herpes simplex virus type I challenge vary in BALB/c mice vaccinated with different vaccines

Macrophage cell infiltrates in the cornea were examined following ocular he rpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) challenge of vaccinated BALB/c mice. Mice were vaccinated with individual HSV-1 glycoproteins, cocktails of differen t HSV-1 glycoproteins, or live avirulent HSV-1 (strain KOS). Cryostat secti ons of cornea were taken at different times after challenge and reacted wit h M1/70, F4/80, BM8, or MOMA-1 monoclonal antibodies. The pattern of macrop hage responses in the cornea differed depending on the vaccine that was giv en prior to HSV-1 ocular challenge. No macrophage response was detected in mice vaccinated with the highly protective 5gPs consisting of the five glyc oproteins gB, gC, go, gE, and gI. In contrast, mock vaccinated mice and mic e vaccinated with gK, which is known to exacerbate HSV-1 induced eye diseas e, had high sustained macrophage responses. Mice vaccinated with 7gPs (5gPs + gG and gH) had moderate levels of macrophages. It appeared that (1) the most effective vaccines induced no detectable infiltrating macrophages in t he eyes, while the least efficacious vaccines had very high levels of infil trating macrophages; (2) presence of CD11b(+) cells in the cornea appeared to correlate with enhanced blepharitis, but did not appear to affect cornea l scarring; and (3) presence of F4/80(+) cells in the cornea tended to corr elate with increased corneal scarring. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.