Purification of herpes simplex virus-specified major DNA-binding proteins and detection of antibodies to them in human and rabbit sera.

We purified herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2-specified nonstructural DNA-binding proteins (ICP8 and ICSP 11/12, respectively) from infected Vero cells and applied them in ELISA test to analyse human and rabbit sera. Only a weak immune response to the ICP8 and ICSP 11/12 could be demonstrated following experimental HSV-1 or HSV-2 infections of rabbits. Low levels of ICSP8 antibodies were found also in acute HSV infections of man.