Herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D. Protective immunity against murine herpetic keratitis

The protective effect of glycoprotein D (gD) immunization against murine herpetic keratitis was investigated. gD was purified by affinity chromatography using anti-gD monoclonal antibodies. Prior immunization with gD was shown to be effective in protecting mice from both the development of stromal keratitis and the spread of the virus to the central nervous system. The level of serum antibodies for virus neutralization, as well as for complement-dependent cytolysis (CDC), was significantly elevated in gD-immunized animals. Cellular immunity, however, was not detected. These results indicate that two antibody-mediated defense mechanisms - virus neutralization and CDC - were responsible for the protective effect observed in our study.