Human Metapneumovirus Reinfection in Aged Mice Recapitulates Increased Disease Severity in Elderly Humans Infected with Human Metapneumovirus.

ABSTRACT: Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a leading cause of respiratory infection in adults >65 y. Nearly all children worldwide are seropositive for HMPV by age 5 y, but reinfections occur throughout life, and there is no licensed vaccine. Recurrent HMPV infection is mild and self-resolving in immunocompetent individuals. However, elderly individuals develop severe respiratory disease on HMPV reinfection that leads to a high risk for morbidity and mortality. In this study, we developed a mouse model to mirror HMPV reinfection in elderly humans. C57BL/6J mice were infected with HMPV at 6-7 wk old, aged in-house, and rechallenged with high-dose virus at 70 wk. Aged rechallenged mice had profound weight loss similar to primary infected mice, increased lung histopathology, and accumulated cytotoxic CD

SUBMITTER: Parks OB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10321313 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature