Corneal Langerhans cell dynamics after herpes simplex virus reactivation

Abstract

Purpose: The authors investigated the progressive changes in the distribution of corneal Langerhans cells (LC) after reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in mice.

Methods: After corneal inoculation of National Institutes of Health inbred mice with HSV-1 and the establishment of latency, viral reactivation was induced by irradiating the ocular surface with 250 mJ/cm2 of ultraviolet B (UV-B) light.

Results: Subsequent viral replication in the cornea was followed by the migration of the LC toward the paracentral and central corneal epithelium. These areas are normally devoid of LC. The number of LC in the paracentral and central regions of the eye reached a peak at day 14 post-UV-B irradiation. After UV-B irradiation of mice latently infected with HSV-1, the development of corneal stromal opacification and neovascularization closely followed the migration of LC toward the central cornea and paralleled the influx of T-cells into the corneal stroma. This pattern was not observed in irradiated uninfected mice.

Conclusions: LC migrate centrally in the corneal epithelium after viral reactivation. There is a direct correlation between the number of LC in the cornea and the degree of persistent stromal opacification.