Herpes simplex virus type-1-induced activation of myeloid dendritic cells: the roles of virus cell interaction and paracrine type I IFN secretion.

Adaptive cellular immunity is required to clear HSV-1 infection in the periphery. Myeloid dendritic cells (DCs) are the first professional Ag-presenting cell to encounter the virus after primary and secondary infection and thus the consequences of their infection are important in understanding the pathogenesis of the disease and the response to the virus. Following HSV-1 infection, both uninfected and infected human DCs acquire a more mature phenotype.

Herpes simplex virus infection of dendritic cells: balance among activation, inhibition, and immunity.

Several lines of evidence suggest that dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen-presenting cells known, play a role in the immunological control of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. HSV infection of DCs induced submaximal maturation, but DCs failed to mature further in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS induced interleukin (IL)-12 secretion, and the induction of primary and secondary T cell responses were impaired by infection.