TY - JOUR
T1 - Early cytokine dysregulation and viral replication are associated with mortality during lethal influenza infection
AU - Vogel, Alexander J.
AU - Harris, Seth
AU - Marsteller, Nathan
AU - Condon, Shirley A.
AU - Brown, Deborah M.
PY - 2014/6/1
Y1 - 2014/6/1
N2 - Infection with influenza A virus (IAV) leads to acute lung injury and possibly fatal complications, especially in immunocompromised, elderly, or chronically infected individuals. Therefore, it is important to study the factors that lead to pathology and mortality in infected hosts. In this report, we analyze immune responses to infection at a sublethal (0.1 LD50) and lethal (1 LD50) dose of the highly pathogenic IAV A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8). Our experiments revealed that infection with a 1 LD 50 dose induced peak viral titers at day 2 compared to day 4 in the 0.1 LD50 dose. Moreover, early cytokine dysregulation was observed in the lethal dose with significantly elevated levels of IFN-α, TNF-α, CXCL9, IL-6, and MCP-1 produced at day 2. Early inflammatory responses following infection with 1 LD50 correlated with a greater influx of neutrophils into the lung. However, depletion of neutrophils enhanced morbidity following IAV infection. Though no differences in CD8+ cell function were observed, CD4+ effector responses were impaired in the lungs 8 days after infection with 1 LD50. Histological analysis revealed significant pathology in lethally infected mice at day 2 and day 6 postinfection, when viral titers remained high. Treating lethally infected mice with oseltamivir inhibited viral titers to sublethal levels, and abrogated the pathology associated with the lethal dose. Together, these results suggest that early cytokine dysregulation and viral replication play a role in pulmonary damage and high mortality in lethally infected mice.
AB - Infection with influenza A virus (IAV) leads to acute lung injury and possibly fatal complications, especially in immunocompromised, elderly, or chronically infected individuals. Therefore, it is important to study the factors that lead to pathology and mortality in infected hosts. In this report, we analyze immune responses to infection at a sublethal (0.1 LD50) and lethal (1 LD50) dose of the highly pathogenic IAV A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8). Our experiments revealed that infection with a 1 LD 50 dose induced peak viral titers at day 2 compared to day 4 in the 0.1 LD50 dose. Moreover, early cytokine dysregulation was observed in the lethal dose with significantly elevated levels of IFN-α, TNF-α, CXCL9, IL-6, and MCP-1 produced at day 2. Early inflammatory responses following infection with 1 LD50 correlated with a greater influx of neutrophils into the lung. However, depletion of neutrophils enhanced morbidity following IAV infection. Though no differences in CD8+ cell function were observed, CD4+ effector responses were impaired in the lungs 8 days after infection with 1 LD50. Histological analysis revealed significant pathology in lethally infected mice at day 2 and day 6 postinfection, when viral titers remained high. Treating lethally infected mice with oseltamivir inhibited viral titers to sublethal levels, and abrogated the pathology associated with the lethal dose. Together, these results suggest that early cytokine dysregulation and viral replication play a role in pulmonary damage and high mortality in lethally infected mice.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902012250&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84902012250&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/vim.2013.0095
DO - 10.1089/vim.2013.0095
M3 - Article
C2 - 24787235
AN - SCOPUS:84902012250
SN - 0882-8245
VL - 27
SP - 214
EP - 224
JO - Viral Immunology
JF - Viral Immunology
IS - 5
ER -