Thyroid hormone deficiency worsens outcomes in vaccinia virus infection.

ABSTRACT: Intranasal inhalation of the vaccinia virus in mice leads to acute lung infection followed by peripheral organ damage. Our findings demonstrate that hypothyroidism significantly exacerbates disease severity. Hypothyroid mice exhibit higher disease scores, elevated lung viral loads, and more extensive tissue damage in both the lungs and peripheral organs. Notably, only hypothyroid mice reach the experimental endpoint, underscoring their heightened vulnerability. Hypothyroid mice display a defective splenic immune response, with no amplification of T and B lymphocytes, but the increased susceptibility to vaccinia virus infection also persists in hypothyroid lymphocyte-deficient Rag2^-/- mice. Prior to infection, hypothyroid mice show a reduced pool of lung alveolar macrophages, and

SUBMITTER: Notario L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12724328 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature