Different strains of HSV-1 McKrae vs KOS

[oneday]

Hi anyone who understands a bit about the difference between the KOS and McKrae strains of hsv-1 could you explain it more. I've read in journal articles that McKrae can reactivate more often (in terms of neurovirulence) than KOS due to one or more 'defects' in the KOS ICP 34.5 gene. http://www.researchgate.net/publication/11005714_Herpes_simplex_virus_type_1_mutants_containing_the_KOS_strain_ICP34.5_gene_in_place_of_the_McKrae_ICP34.5_gene_have_McKrae-like_spontaneous_reactivation_but_non-McKrae-like_virulence

 

In another article, it has been mentioned there is slight variations with invasiveness vs virulence between the two, with McKrae being linked less with invasiveness when referring to neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3640688/

Further article I've read http://www.researchgate.net/publication/11005714_Herpes_simplex_virus_type_1_mutants_containing_the_KOS_strain_ICP34.5_gene_in_place_of_the_McKrae_ICP34.5_gene_have_McKrae-like_spontaneous_reactivation_but_non-McKrae-like_virulence

 

I would like to know what impact these differences have, if any, on treatments being developed for hsv. Would results vary depending which strain is being used for testing, is it impossible to know?

 

I would prefer credible/referenced answers not guesses or personal opinions. Thanks for your response. 

[VVK]

Which treatments are you thinking of?

For vaccines, results might be a mixed bag depending on how different the viruses are that are associated with each strain. Impossible to tell for sure what the results will be. The ICP34.5 gene is just a small part of the puzzle. It is associated with how much damage the McKrae strain does, but otherwise not much more is known.

 

[oneday]

Vaccines in particularly. Is there a way of knowing which strain someone would have. Thanks for your response as well.

[VVK]

Yeah if the virus is isolated from sores, with the right equipment it's possible to break it down to the DNA level and then analyze the DNA to determine what strain the virus is associated with. However, it's costly and time-intensive so it probably wouldn't be done. I sometimes also wonder if this has something to do with vaccine effectiveness issues that we're seeing. I suspect it's strain variability and also has to do with genetics.

[Guy12]

One this may perhaps play a role with how some test negative or take longer to seroconvert, neurological symptoms, or how it presents itself...