Efficient reactivation of latent herpe implex viru type 1 infection by excimer laer keratectomy in the experimental rabbit ocular model Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To invetigate the role of excimer laer keratectomy a a trigger for the reactivation of latent HV type 1 (HV-1) in the New Zealand rabbit ocular model. There are conflicting report in the current literature about reactivation of HV-1 after excimer laer photoablation. Method New Zealand rabbit were inoculated topically with HV-1 McKrae or W train in each eye, and culture-poitive dendritic keratiti wa documented on day 7. After the etablihment of latency (21+ day), animal were divided into three group: group I animal underwent excimer laer photoablation in each eye; group II animal received intratromal injection of terile water to act a poitive control (a tandard method); and group III animal received no treatment and repreented pontaneou hedder. All eye were wabbed daily from day 1 through 10 and plated on A549 cell. Recovery of HV-1 on day 1 through 10 potinduction wa analyzed to compare the efficiency of the different method of viral reactivation. Reult Reactivation of latent HV-1 after excimer treatment wa oberved in nine (45%) of 20 eye and wa equivalent to the rate of reactivation een in the poitive control animal (eight [44.4%] of 18 eye) (P =.99). Both of thee rate were ignificantly greater than thoe of the untreated animal (one [5.6%] of 18 eye) (P =.018). Concluion Excimer laer keratectomy appear to be an efficient trigger for the reactivation of latent HV-1 in the New Zealand rabbit ocular model.