In vitro interference between equine herpesvirus types 1 and 2.

Interference between equine herpesvirus types 1 (EHV-1) and 2 (EHV-2) was studied in equine dermis (ED) monolayer cell cultures and equine lymphocyte cultures. Cell cultures were infected with EHV-2, and after a short incubation period, the cultures were superinfected with EHV-1. At various intervals, different measurements of EHV-1 expression in dually infected cultures, compared with those in cultures infected with EHV-1 alone, were studied. In dually infected ED cell cultures, the EHV-1 cytopathic effect, EHV-1 titer, and EHV-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antigen titer were maximally reduced to values of 40%, 58.5%, and 54.9%, respectively, at postsuperinfection hour (PSIH) 36. Values of these EHV-1 expressions were subsequently increased at PSIH 48. However, thymidine kinase activity was reduced to a maximum of 67.3% reduction at PSIH 48. In dually infected lymphocyte cultures, the EHV-1 titer, EHV-1 infective centers, EHV-1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antigen titer, and thymidine kinase activity were maximally reduced to values of 77.4%, 78.7%, 98.3%, and 72.9%, respectively, at PSIH 24. These reductions of EHV-1 expressions were completely abrogated at PSIH 48 to 72. In both cell culture systems, a marked interference of EHV-1 by EHV-2 was observed; this was transient in the lymphocyte cultures, but was more prolonged in ED cell cultures. This interference appeared not to be interferon mediated. The multiplication of EHV-2 in the dually infected ED cell cultures appeared unaffected.