Non-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity response to treat herpes simplex virus infection

Abstract

A method is presented for treating herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection comprising: (a) locally administering a substance that induces a delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to a patient at a site of an HSV lesion to induce a DTH response at the site of the lesion during one or more outbreaks of the HSV infection.

1 . A method of treating herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection comprising:
 (a) locally administering a substance that induces a delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to a patient at a site of an HSV lesion to induce a DTH response at the site of the lesion during one or more outbreaks of the HSV infection.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method reduces the severity of subsequent outbreaks. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method increases time between outbreaks. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises topically applying the substance that induces a DTH response to a patient at a site of an HSV lesion to induce a DTH response at the site of the lesion. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the substance that induces a DTH response is squaric acid, a squaric acid ester, diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP), 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB), or 1-chloro-2,6-dinitrobenzene. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the substance that induces a DTH response is squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE). 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the substance that induces a DTH response comprises urushiol or an extract of an irritating plant. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises intralesionally injecting the substance that induces a DTH response into a patient at a site of an HSV lesion to induce a DTH response at the site of the lesion. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the substance that induces a DTH response comprises mumps antigen, candida antigen, or trichophyton antigen. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising before step (a) administering the substance that induces a DTH response to the patient to develop a sensitivity to the substance in the patient. 
   
   
       11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the herpes simplex virus is HSV type 1. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the herpes simplex virus is HSV type 2. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises administering the substance that induces a DTH response at the site of an HSV lesion on or adjacent to the lip of the patient. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein step (a) comprises administering the substance that induces a DTH response at the site of an HSV lesion on the genitals of the patient. 
   
   
       16 - 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 (b) locally administering an immune response enhancer to the patient at the site of the HSV lesion before or during the DTH response at the site of the lesion.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the immune response enhancer is a cytokine. 
   
   
       20 - 21 . (canceled) 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the immune response enhancer is imiquimod or resiquimod. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method decreases time to healing of lesions in a subsequent outbreak of the HSV infection after step (a) by at least 30%. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method increases time between outbreaks by at least 4-fold. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the method at least doubles stimulation index of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from a patient in a proliferation test with stimulation of proliferation by killed HSV particles as compared to the stimulation index of PBMC from the patient before treatment. 
   
   
       26 - 30 . (canceled)