Pregnancy Alters Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to Zika Virus Infection in the Reproductive Tract.

ABSTRACT: Recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) have been associated with birth defects, including microcephaly and neurologic impairment. However, the mechanisms that confer potential susceptibility to ZIKV during pregnancy remain unclear. We hypothesized that poor outcomes from ZIKV infection during pregnancy are due in part to pregnancy-induced alteration of innate immune cell frequencies and cytokine expression. To examine the impact of pregnancy on innate immune responses, we inoculated immunocompetent pregnant and nonpregnant female C57BL/6 mice with 5 × 10⁵ focus-forming units of ZIKV intravaginally. Innate immune cell frequencies and cytokine expression were measured by flow cytometry at day 3 postinfection. Compared with nonpregnant mice, pregnant mice exhibited higher frequencie

SUBMITTER: Lesteberg KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7686295 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature