Naslov
Pathogenesis of murine cytomegalovirus infection in neonatal mice

Autori
Pernjak-Pugel, Ester ; Tomac, Jelena ; Trgovcich, Joanne ; Jonjić, Stipan

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Annual meeting of the Croatian Immunological Society, Periodicum biologorum 99 (1997), suppl. 2 / Vitale, Branko - Zagreb : Hrvatsko prirodoslovno društvo, 1997, P23-P23

Skup
Annual meeting of the Croatian Immunological Society

Mjesto i datum
Zagreb, Hrvatska, 06.11.1997. - 07.11.1997

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Pozvano predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
citomegalovirus
(cytomegalovirus)

Sažetak
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are a major source of morbidity and mortality in congenitally and perinatally-infected infants. Despite the extensive characterization of clinical disease induced by human CMV in neonatal infections of humans, fundamental questions regarding the pathogenesis of disease remain unanswered. For example, which tissues support virus replication and what is the nature of the tissue damage? What is the role of the immune response and cytokines in protection from or exacerbation of disease? Also, which viral determinants are essential to virulence and how does age at acquisition influence virulence? To begin to address these issues, we have established a model of disease in neonatal mice using both virulent and attenuated strains of murine CMV. Our approach to the study of MCMV pathogenesis in newborns was a comparative one, in which infection with tissue culture-derived virus was compared with an attenuated recombinant mutant lacking the fcr gene product. Investigation of MCMV pathogenesis in neonatal mice revealed several important aspects of disease. First, neonatal infection with WT virus follows a virulent disease course involving multiple tissues and organs. Absence of the fcr gene product, however, results in significant attenuation of disease course. Second, virus replication and damage in the brain and meninges was a primary feature of infection and was unique to newborn mice. Third, this study implicates immunopathological mechanisms of disease both in the CNS (neurovirulence), and in peripheral tissues and organs, especially the heart and connective tissues. In addition to morphological evidence supporting immunopathology in neonatal infections, the dramatic induction of TNF-a associated with the virulent WT virus also supports an immunopathological condition occurring in these mice.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Kliničke medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA