Herpes simplex virus infection and damage in the central nervous system: immune response to myelin basic protein.

Two models of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in the mouse (inoculation of the ear pinna or intravenous inoculation) were used to assess immune responses to the virus and myelin basic protein (MBP). In both models demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) can be assessed by clinical signs; ear paralysis (ear inoculation) and hind limb paralysis (intravenous inoculation). In the ear model, low levels of antibody to MBP were detected at 7 and 14 days after inoculation. The incidence of such antibody was low and bore no correlation with signs of paralysis. Cells from draining lymph nodes of mice inoculated in the pinna showed a proliferative response to HSV and MBP in vitro. In both models, delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions were demonstrated against HSV and MBP but such reactions were most significant after i.v. inoculation. This may reflect the greater CNS damage associated with hind limb paralysis.