Comparison of the humoral and cellular immune response after immunization with live, UV inactivated herpes simplex virus and a subunit vaccine and efficacy of these immunizations.

Antibody and cell-mediated immune responses were measured in rabbits immunized with live, UV inactivated herpes simplex virus or with a subunit vaccine containing envelope proteins. All the types of immunization procedures induced the production of antibody as well as a specific cellular immunity. Furthermore, the subunit vaccine was as effective as the immunization with live or UV inactivated virus to prevent death upon challenge with live HSV. Live HSV induced a transient unresponsiveness of both B and T cells to in vitro stimulation with various mitogens.