Vaccination with different HSV-1 glycoproteins induces different patterns of ocular cytokine responses following HSV-1 challenge of vaccinated mice

We previously reported that vaccination of BALB/c mice with different baculovirus expressed HSV-1 glycoproteins induced varying degrees of protection against HSV-1 ocular challenge, ranging from complete protection to no protection, to exacerbation of eye disease. To correlate specific local immune responses with protection and exacerbation of corneal scarring, we examined immune cell infiltrates in the cornea after ocular HSV-1 challenge of vaccinated mice. Mice were vaccinated with gD, which completely protects against corneal scarring, gG, which produces no protection against corneal scarring, or gK, which exacerbates corneal scarring. Cryostat sections of cornea were taken at different times after challenge and examined for infiltrating cells containing IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-6, or TNF-α. No corneal infiltrates were seen before challenge or 1 day after ocular challenge in any groups. By days 3-7, many cells containing IL-4 and IFN-γ, but few cells containing IL-2, had infiltrated into the corneas of gG or mock vaccinated mice. At the same times, many cells containing IL-2, but few cells containing IL-4 or IFN-γ, were seen in the corneas of gD vaccinated mice. In contrast, the corneas of mice vaccinated with gK contained large amounts of IL-2, IFN- γ, and IL-4. Our results suggest that: (1) corneas from gD vaccinated mice had no corneal disease and developed a response highly biased toward IL-2 responses; (2) corneas from gG or mock vaccinated eyes had significant corneal disease and developed a mostly IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokine response; and (3) corneas from gK vaccinated mice had exacerbated corneal disease and developed strong IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokine responses.