Nonvirion antigens produced by herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2.

Of nine herpes simplex virus 1 strains (from lip, mouth, throat, cornea, or brain) only five produced enough nonvirion antigen (i.e., not a structural component of the virus) to be detected by complement fixation with specially prepared, virion-absorbed, type-1 guinea pig antisera, while the remaining four strains produced only enough of the same antigen to induce specific antibody in hyperimmunized guinea pigs. While the type 1 virion antiserum used reacted equally well by complement fixation with the type 1 and type 2 strains, the type 1 nonvirion antisera failed to react with nonvirion antigens produced by three type-2 (genital) strains. However, type 2 nonvirion antiserum reacted equally well with the three type 2 and four type 1 nonvirion antigens that were tested. It appears, therefore, that while herpes simplex virus 1 codes only for type 1 nonvirion antigen, herpes simplex 2 codes not only for an immunologically distinct type 2 nonvirion antigen but also for enough type 1 nonvirion antigen to stimulate antibody production for it. Herpes simplex 2 nonvirion antigen exhibited the same properties as type 1, i.e., its activity was lost on storage at 4 degrees for 15 days, it was sedimented by centrifugation at 33,360 x g for 1 hr, and the maximum concentration was found at 3 hr in guinea pig kidney culture cells, but at 24 hr in HEp 2 and rabbit kidney culture cells. Sera from patients with genital lesions caused by herpes simplex virus 2, as well as from randomly selected adults, failed to react with either type 2 or type 1 nonvirion antigens. Accordingly, the basic information is now available to permit the use of these nonvirion antigens to determine the possible role of the herpes simplex viruses in certain human cancers.