Herpes simplex virus acute retinal necrosis during pregnancy.

PURPOSE: As pregnancy is liable to modify immune response, the authors explored the immune functions of a pregnant patient with acute retinal necrosis (ARN) to ascertain whether pregnancy may promote the onset of infection. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA in ocular, uterus cervix, and cerebrospinal fluid samples. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured for 72 hours with mitogens and cellular proliferation was assessed using (methyl-3H) thymidine incorporation. Flow cytometry was performed for T, B, and NK cell count using CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8 (T cells), CD19, CD20 (B cells), and a combination of CD3-CD16 and CD56 monoclonal antibodies (NK cells). RESULTS: Unilateral ARN, with a confluent peripheral necrotizing retinitis extending throughout the entire retina, was diagnosed clinically. The herpetic infection (herpes simplex virus 1) was confirmed using PCR of aqueous humor specimen. The immunologic study performed during and after pregnancy showed that T and B lymphocytes were quantitatively normal and responses to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogens were weaker during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: A reduced response to mitogens, with postdelivery normalization, was noted in a pregnant woman with an ARN syndrome. Further studies are needed to explore the antigen-specific immune deviation in pregnant patients with ARN.