Influenza A viruses target type II pneumocytes in the human lung.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza viruses preferentially infect alveolar type II pneumocytes in human lung. However, it is unknown whether this cellular tropism contributes to high viral virulence because the primary target cells of other influenza viruses have not been systematically studied.

Methods

We provide the first comparison of the replication, tropism, and cytokine induction of human, highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 and other animal influenza A viruses in primary human lung organ cultures.

Results

Subytpe H5N1 and human-adapted subtype H1N1 and H3N2 viruses replicated efficiently in the lung tissue, whereas classic swine and low-pathogenicity avian viruses propagated only poorly. Nevertheless, all viruses examined were d

SUBMITTER: Weinheimer VK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7107318 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature