Experimental immunosuppression induced by herpes simplex virus.

Cell-mediated immune response was studied in experimental herpetic infection in mice. Our data suggest that herpes simplex virus induced immunosuppression in mice. This depression was documented by the unresponsiveness of the lymphocytes to PHA stimulation in vitro and by the enhanced susceptibility of adult mice to Coxsackie B virus infection. Our data also suggest that levamisole, a potent immunostimulant drug, had no effect on the unresponsiveness of the lymphocytes to PHA stimulation.