Suppression of humoral antibody formation against sheep red blood cells by infections with HSV-2 and the influence of mouse cytomegalovirus

HSV-2 infections suppress the antibody response to HSV-1 but do not impair the mouse cytomegalo virus (MCMV) antibody generating system. In contrast, the sheep red blood cell (SRBC) IgM response is impaired by preinfections with HSV-2 but not with HSV-1. From the time kinetics of this suppression it can be concluded that only a certain submechanism "spills over" to the SRBC system. MCMV suppresses the antibody formation induced by HSV-1.