Enhanced viral replication and modulated innate immune responses in infant airway epithelium following H1N1 infection.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Influenza is the cause of significant morbidity and mortality in pediatric populations. The contribution of pulmonary host defense mechanisms to viral respiratory infection susceptibility in very young children is poorly understood. As a surrogate to compare mucosal immune responses of infant and adult lungs, rhesus monkey primary airway epithelial cell cultures were infected with pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus in vitro. Virus replication, cytokine secretion, cell viability, and type I interferon (IFN) pathway PCR array profiles were evaluated for both infant and adult cultures. In comparison with adult cultures, infant cultures showed significantly increased levels of H1N1 replication, reduced alpha interferon (IFN-α) protein synthesis, and no difference in cell death

SUBMITTER: Clay CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4054429 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature