Evaluation of gamma-interferon kinetics in HSV-1 infected mice in different days post infection (in vivo) and post re-stimulation (in vitro)

Abstract

Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is among the most important immune factors for limiting of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. However, our knowledge about the kinetics of IFN-gamma production after HSV infection is limited. The present study examines the kinetics of IFN-gamma expression following secondary infection with HSV-1. Using semiquantitative RT-PCR assay, the expression of IFN-gamma in spleen lymphocytes was significantly detected on 14 days but not 7 days after intraperitoneal inoculation of HSV-1, while ELISA detected IFN-gamma on both days. At various hours after in vitro re-stimulation of spleen cells, RT-PCR showed a decreasing pattern of mRNA transcripts, whereas, ELISA assayed an increasing amount of secreted protein through the experiment. Despite the contrast results of ELISA and RT-PCR, regarding the short half-life of mRNA, the data are in correlation with each other and need to interpret.