Experimental ulcerative herpetic keratitis: Humoral immune response and its role in corneal protection

Twenty five rabbits were inoculated with HSV type [1] to estimate the humoral immune response and corneal protection. The serum neutralizing antibody could be detected 15 days after inoculation. Ig[G], Ig[A] and Ig[M] specific to the virus were detected by immunofluorescence. Only corneae of 2 out of 14 immunized rabbits developed corneal ulcers, when challenged with the virus, as compared to 5 non-immunized that developed ulcer. The 2 immunized rabbits that developed corneal ulcers showed complete healing in 3 days to treatment with trifluorotrhymidine as compared to 6 days for the non-immunized control group [5 rabbits]