Response of NK cells that experienced HSV-2 was specific for HSV-2.

<p>(a) Six to eight weeks old female C57BL/6 mice in diestrus were immunized intra-vaginally with 1×10⁵ PFU per animal of TK^−/− HSV-2 (n = 5) alongside unimmunized controls (n = 5). Thirty days following immunization, splenocytes were isolated and stimulated with poly I:C (10 µg/ml) for 18–21 hours. The NK cells were stained for intracellular IFNγ production and percentage of CD3-NK1.1+IFN-γ+ cells in the spleen of HSV-2 exposed and naive mice are presented. (b) Six to eight weeks old female C57BL/6 mice in diestrus were immunized intra-vaginally with 1×10⁵ PFU per animal of TK^−/− HSV-2 (n = 9). Three weeks following immunization, the mice were challenged with B16F10 cells (1×10⁶ cells/mouse) i.v. alongside unimmunized controls (n = 9). Counts of tumor nodules in the lung two weeks following the tumor challenge are presented.