Mapping of genes involved in murine herpes simplex virus keratitis: identification of genes and their modifiers.

Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is an inflammatory response to viral infection and self antigens in the cornea and is a major cause of blindness. Using two strains of mice which are susceptible (129/SVEV) and resistant (C57BL/6) to herpes simplex virus (HSV) strain KOS, (129/SVEV x C57BL/6)F(2) mice were generated and examined for their disease susceptibility in terms of clinical symptoms, ocular disease, and antibody production following corneal scarification with HSV (KOS). A genome-wide screen was carried out using microsatellite markers to determine the genetic loci involved in this response. Loci on chromosomes 4, 5, 12, 13, and 14 were shown to be involved in general susceptibility to clinical disease, whereas loci on chromosomes 10 and 17 were shown to be unique to ocular disease.