Cell-mediated immunity against herpes simplex induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

The conditions required for the induction of both primary cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in vivo and secondary CTL in vitro against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-infected cells were defined. Primary CTL responses occurred only in mice exposed to infectious HSV-1. These responses, which were shown to be mediated by T lymphocytes, peaked at 1 week and had disappeared by 2 weeks after infection. The level of primary cytotoxicity was enhanced by treatment of mice with cyclophosphamide before infection. Secondary in vitro CTL responses were more pronounced and were induced by some forms of inactivated virus as well as by infectious HSV-1. Thus, both ultraviolet light- and glutaraldehyde-inactivated preparations of HSV-1 induced CTL, but heat-inactivated and detergent-extracted antigens failed to do so. The reasons for the differing efficiency of infectious and noninfectious HSV-1 for induction of CTL are discussed.