Herpes simplex

Tutor 19
Structure and replication

– Herpesvirus consist icosahedral

capsid enclosed in an envelope
– Between the envelope and capsid
lies protein material called
tegument
Classification of herpes virus

Herpesviridae have been divided into three subfamilies, based primarily on biologic
characteristic :
1. Alphaherpesvirinae (herpes simplex group)
– Relatively rapid
– cytocidal or lytic growth cycle
– Dormant or latent infections in nerve ganglia
– Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and varicella-zoster virus
(VZV) belong to this group
2. Bethaherpesvirinae (cytomegalovirus group)
– Slow replication cycle
– Multinucleated,
– Giant host cell
– Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and human herpesviruses types 6 and 7 (HHV-
6 and HHV-7) are in this group.
3. Gammaherpesvirinae (lymphoproliferative group)
– Replicate in mucosal epithelium
– Establish latent infections primarily in B cells
– Induce cell proliferation in and immortalize lymphoblastoid cells.
– Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was previously the only well-characterized human
gammaherpesvirus
Replication of Herpesviruses

– Virus adsorop & penetration

– Viral DNA replication and nucleocapsid assembly
– Viral envelope acquisition
– Latency
Virus adsorp & Penetration

– Viral envelope glycoproteins

promote fusion of the envelope
with the cell’s plasma membrane
– Tegument protein : VHS & VP 16
– VHS : degrades host cell’s mRNA
– VP 16 : protect viral mRNA ; act as
transcriptional activator of viral
genome
Viral DNA replication and
nucleocapsid
– Lytic infection : Nucleocapsid
transported into nucleus -> VP 16
activate RNA polymerase ->
immediate early mRNA ->
immediate early protein -> code to
viral replication
– Latent : in latent infection genes
called LAT keep cell from suicide
until switch into lytic infection
Viral envelope
Epidemiology and Pathogenesis

– Transmission of both HSV types is by direct contact with virus-containing

secretions or with lesions on mucosal
– Primary or recurrent infections in the oropharyngeal region
– In genital tract infections, caused primarily by HSV-2, virus is present in genital
tract secretions
– Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 multiply in epithelial cells of the mucosal surface ->
production of vesicles or shallow ulcers containing infectious virus
Clinical significance

– HSV-1 is most commonly found in lesions above the waist, and HSV-2 is more
commonly the cause of lesions below the waist.
1. Primary simplex upper body
Painful vesiculo ulcerative, shallow ulcerative, accompanied by systemic symptoms :
fever, malaise, myalgia
In eye : keratoconjunctivitis -> corneal scarring -> blind
Spread to CNS -> encephalitis
2. Primary simplex genital tract
Painful vesiculoulcerative at vlva,cervix, vagina (women) penis (men). Systemic : fever,
malaise, myalgia
In pregnant women risk to infect newborn : 30-40%
Latency & Reactivation
Lab Diagnostic

– Viral antigen detection by immunofluorescence

– HSV DNA detection by PCR
– Antibody detection by ELISA
Treatment