Competitive inhibition by human sera of mouse monoclonal antibody binding to glycoproteins C and D of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test for human antibodies to antigenic sites on herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoproteins C and D, which are recognized by mouse monoclonal antibodies. Antibodies capable of blocking the monoclonal antibodies were detected in the human sera, and the inhibition of binding correlated with the histories of herpetic infections. The binding of monoclonal antibody to glycoprotein C of HSV type 2 was inhibited primarily by sera from patients with recurrent herpes genitalis; however, the binding of the monoclonal antibodies to gC of HSV type 1 was inhibited by sera from patients previously infected with either HSV type 1 or HSV type 2. The observations suggest that the antigenic sites defined by the mouse monoclonal antibodies are recognized by the human host.