Chromosome Changes in Human Cells induced by Herpes Simplex, Types 1 and 2

Abstract

HERPES simplex virus (HSV) is of interest both as a common infectious agent and because of its putative role (type 2 virus) in carcinoma of the cervix^1,2. The type 1 virus induces chromosome damage in both established and primary cell cultures of the Chinese hamster^3–5, in cultured Syrian hamster cells⁶ and in cultured monkey kidney cells⁷. In human leucocytes Aya et al.⁸ have described HSV induced breaks, while Stich et al.⁵ described more extreme effects, including fragmentation, in human embryonic lung cells. But neither damage by HSV type 2 nor the full range of effects in human cells induced by either types 1 or 2 has been described. Here we describe various chromosome abnormalities produced by both forms of HSV, and point out similarities between some of these abnormalities and those which occur in human cancers, in permanent human leucocyte cell lines, and in human fibroblasts transformed by SV40.