Znamenska M. Clinical and immunological features of superficial herpetic keratitis (diagnostics and treatment)

The thesis is devoted to study of herpes virus types that can cause herpetic keratitis, disturbance of local eye immunity balance in such patients and correction of this balance by prescription of specific antiherpetic immunoglobulin Herpimun 6 with conventional therapy. Herpes human virus 6 (HHV-6) plays a significant role in herpetic keratitis genesis. According to PCR results of tear from 134 patients (eyes) in 79.4% herpetic keratitis was caused by HHV-6, in 19.0% of patients - HSV-1 and in 1.6% - HSV-2. Significant immunoglobulin misbalance in tear of patients with herpetic keratitis caused by HHV-6 was detected. Estimation of the eye local immunity by determining levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, sIgA, calculating such ratios as ІgG:IgA and sIgA:IgA in tear and their comparison with referent values plays diagnostic and prognostic role and allows to evaluate the inflammatory process activity establish a presence of immunoglobulin misbalance that needs immunotherapeutic correction. The activity of inflammatory process is also manifested by cytokines (IL-1, IL-8 and TNF) misbalance. Advanced therapeutic and preventive complex with antiherpetic immunoglobulin Herpimun 6 prescription to patients with herpetic keratitis, caused by HHV-6, reduces the treatment duration (in average - for 4-5 days) and reduces the frequency of relapses by 36% and normalizes the local eye immunity indexes rates.