Effect of cyclosporin A immunosuppression on primary lymphotropic herpesvirus infection in the guinea pig.

Female guinea pigs pretreated for 2 days with cyclosporin A (CsA), were then inoculated intranasally (IN) or intraperitoneally (IP) with a lymphotropic herpesvirus (GPHLV) and followed by 4 additional daily doses of CsA. Immunosuppressed animals did not show lymphocytosis and virus infectivity titers in their spleen, cervical lymph node and blood mononuclear cells were lower than those of oil-treated controls. While IN-inoculated CsA-treated animals expressed higher virus infectivity titer in their lungs compared to oil-treated controls, this difference was not seen in the IP-inoculated groups. At histopathology, lymphoid depletion was seen in all CsA-treated animals, but lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia was observed only in the lungs of IN-inoculated CsA-treated guinea pigs. Thus, CsA immunosuppression altered the pathogenesis of primary GPHLV infection with some notable differences attributed to the route of virus inoculation.