Roles of different T-cell subsets in control of herpes simplex virus infection determined by using T-cell-deficient mouse-models.

Herpes simplex virus infection of the scarified dermis results in infection of the nervous system and, subsequently, a cutaneous lesion in the innervated dermatome. We compared the pathogenesis of such zosteriform lesions in mice lacking or severely depleted of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells because of targeted gene disruption. Mice without CD4+ cells showed markedly increased susceptibility, whereas beta 2 microglobulin knockout mice lacking CD8+ T cells were as resistant to challenge as were immunocompetent mice with the same genetic background. Our results demonstrate that CD4+ T cells are of primary importance in the control of herpes simplex virus infections of the skin and nervous system.