Cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to herpes simplex virus type 1 is composed of both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell phenotypes in acute and memory states.

Mice were infected via the cornea with HSV-1. Next, draining lymph nodes (DLN) and spleen cells were analyzed at various times post infection for the presence of cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTL-p) of both the CD8+ and CD4+ phenotypes. Responses were greatest in the DLN, but memory CTL persisted in the spleen and were undetectable in DLN by 60 days. On all occasions, the frequency of CD8+ CTL outnumbered CD4+ CTL. The murine CTL responses to HSV-1 differ from those in man where CD4+ MHC class II restricted CTL appear to dominate the response at least in the memory phase.