Abstract
Extract: The rabbit model of Herpesvirus hominis (HVH) encephalitis was utilized to determine whether thymidine (TdR) kinase (EC. 2.7.1.2.1), an early enzyme in the HVH replicative cycle, is present in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of rabbits with HVH encephalitis. The mean TdR kinase activity in CSF from infected rabbits was 2.30 ± 1.69 pmol product/120 min/100 μl CSF, while the mean TdR kinase activity of uninfected CSF was 0.34 ± 0.25. The enzyme appeared to be cell associated since the TdR kinase activity in the sedimented cell suspension was 5.08 ± 2.93 (seven values) while the supernatant activity was 0.14 ± 0.31 (seven values). To allow a comparison of TdR kinase from infected rabbit CSF with HVH and rabbit mononuclear cell TdR kinase, the mean ratio of TdR kinase activity at pH 6.0/pH 8.0 was calculated. The mean ratio of thymidine kinase activity, pH 6.0/pH 8.0, for infected rabbit CSF is intermediate between the ratio for HVH TdR kinase (P < 0.001) and rabbit mononuclear cell TdR kinase (P < 0.05).
Speculation: The presence of TdR kinase in CSF from HVH-infected rabbits with biochemical properties intermediate between HVH and mononuclear cell TdR kinase suggests that abortive HVH infection occurs in CSF mononuclear cells during the course of HVH encephalitis.
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Hilty, M., Thomas, D., Haynes, R. et al. Thymidine Kinase Activity in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Rabbits with Herpesvirus hominis Encephalitis. Pediatr Res 9, 143–146 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197503000-00007
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197503000-00007