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J Virol, June 1998, p. 5137-5145, Vol. 72, No. 6
Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine,
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901-6523
Received 17 November 1997/Accepted 18 February 1998
This investigation evaluated immunity to vaginal herpes simplex
virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection after local or parenteral immunization with attenuated HSV-2. Vaginal immunization induced sterilizing immunity against challenge with a high dose of wild-type virus, whereas
parenteral immunizations protected against neurologic disease but did
not entirely prevent infection of the vagina. Vaginal immunization
caused 86- and 31-fold increases in the numbers of immunoglobulin G
(IgG) plasma cells in the vagina at 6 weeks and 10 months after
immunization, whereas parenteral immunizations did not increase plasma
cell numbers in the vagina. Vaginal secretion/serum titer ratios and
specific antibody activities in vaginal secretions and serum indicated
that IgG viral antibody was produced in the vagina and released into
vaginal secretions at 6 weeks and 10 months after vaginal immunization
but not after parenteral immunizations. In contrast to the case for
plasma cells, the numbers of T and B lymphocytes in the vagina were
similar in vaginally and parenterally immunized mice. Also, lymphocyte
numbers in the vagina were markedly but similarly increased by vaginal
challenge with HSV-2 in both vaginally and parenterally immunized mice.
Lymphocyte recruitment to the vagina after virus challenge appeared to
involve memory lymphocytes, because it was not observed in nonimmunized
mice. Thus, local vaginal immunization with attenuated HSV-2 increased the number of IgG plasma cells in the vagina and increased vaginal secretion/serum titer ratios to 3.0- to 4.7-fold higher than in parenterally immunized groups but caused little if any selective homing
of T and B lymphocytes to the vagina.
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Immunoglobulin G, Plasma Cells, and Lymphocytes in
the Murine Vagina after Vaginal or Parenteral Immunization with
Attenuated Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Anatomy, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale, IL 62901. Phone: (618) 453-1532. Fax: (618) 453-1527. E-mail: mparr{at}som.siu.edu.
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