Studies of herpes simplex virus and interferon in human gingival cell cultures.

Cultures of human gingival fibroblast cells from patients with a positive or negative history of recurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection were compared with respect to susceptibility to HSV infection and interferon activity. There was a possible inverse relationship between interferon sensitivity of gingival fibroblast cells and a clinical history of recurrent disease. No correlation was found between prior infection and other parameters of interferon activity or susceptibility of the cells to HSV.