scholarly journals Comparison of Four Clinical Specimen Types for Detection of Influenza A and B Viruses by Optical Immunoassay (FLU OIA Test) and Cell Culture Methods

1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 3971-3974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristi A. Covalciuc ◽  
Kenneth H. Webb ◽  
Curtis A. Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
Sample Type ◽  
Clinical Specimens ◽  
Viral Culture ◽  
The Impact

Although laboratory diagnosis of respiratory viruses has been widely studied, there is a relative insufficiency of literature examining the impact of specimen type on the laboratory diagnosis of influenza A and B. In a clinical study comparing the FLU OIA test with 14-day cell culture, clinical specimens from nasopharyngeal swabs, throat swabs, nasal aspirates, and sputum were obtained from patients experiencing influenza-like symptoms. A total of 404 clinical specimens were collected from 184 patients. Patients were defined as influenza positive if the viral culture of a specimen from any sample site was positive. Patients were defined as influenza negative if the viral cultures of specimens from all sample sites were negative. By this gold standard, culture and FLU OIA test results for each sample type were compared. For each of the four specimen types, the viral culture and FLU OIA test demonstrated equal abilities to detect the presence of influenza A or B virus or viral antigen. Sputum and nasal aspirate samples were the most predictive of influenza virus infection. Throat swabs were the least predictive of influenza virus infection, with both tests failing to detect influenza virus in nearly 50% of the throat samples studied.

Impact of influenza virus during pregnancy: from disease severity to vaccine efficacy

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 441-453
Author(s):  
Ana Vazquez-Pagan ◽  
Rebekah Honce ◽  
Stacey Schultz-Cherry
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Severe Influenza ◽  
The Impact

Pregnant women are among the individuals at the highest risk for severe influenza virus infection. Infection of the mother during pregnancy increases the probability of adverse fetal outcomes such as small for gestational age, preterm birth and fetal death. Animal models of syngeneic and allogeneic mating can recapitulate the increased disease severity observed in pregnant women and are used to define the mechanism(s) of that increased severity. This review focuses on influenza A virus pathogenesis, the unique immunological landscape during pregnancy, the impact of maternal influenza virus infection on the fetus and the immune responses at the maternal–fetal interface. Finally, we summarize the importance of immunization and antiviral treatment in this population and highlight issues that warrant further investigation.

A Fungal Cu/Zn-Containing Superoxide Dismutase Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of a Plant Polyphenol Extract in Experimental Influenza Virus Infection

2010 ◽  
Vol 65 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 419-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Serkedjieva ◽  
Tsvetanka Stefanova ◽  
Ekaterina Krumova
Keyword(s):  
Superoxide Dismutase ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Combined Application ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Experimental Influenza

The combined protective effect of a polyphenol-rich extract, isolated from Geranium sanguineum L. (PC), and a novel naturally glycosylated Cu/Zn-containing superoxide dismutase, produced from the fungal strain Humicula lutea 103 (HL-SOD), in the experimental influenza A virus infection (EIVI) in mice, induced with the virus A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2), was investigated. The combined application of HL-SOD and PC in doses, which by themselves do not defend significantly mice in EIVI, resulted in a synergistically increased protection, determined on the basis of protective indices and amelioration of lung injury. Lung weights and consolidation as well as infectious lung virus titers were all decreased significantly parallel to the reduction of the mortality rates; lung indices were raised. The excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by alveolar macrophages (aMØ) as well as the elevated levels of the lung antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), induced by EIVI, were brought to normal. For comparative reasons the combined protective effect of PC and vitamin C was investigated. The obtained results support the combined use of antioxidants for the treatment of influenza virus infection and in general indicate the beneficial protective role of combinations of viral inhibitors of natural origin with diverse modes of action.

Severe Influenza Virus Infection in Children Admitted to the PICU: Comparison of Influenza A and Influenza B Virus Infection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pınar YAZICI ÖZKAYA ◽  
Eşe Eda TURANLI ◽  
Hamdi METİN ◽  
Ayça Aydın UYSAL ◽  
Candan ÇİÇEK ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Influenza B Virus ◽  
Influenza B ◽  
Severe Influenza ◽  
B Virus

scholarly journals IFITM3 protects the heart during influenza virus infection

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam D. Kenney ◽  
Temet M. McMichael ◽  
Alexander Imas ◽  
Nicholas M. Chesarino ◽  
Lizhi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Cardiac Dysfunction ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Small Animal ◽  
Heart Tissue ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

AbstractInfluenza virus primarily targets the lungs, but dissemination and damage to heart tissue is also known to occur in severe infections. Despite this knowledge, influenza virus-induced cardiac pathogenesis and its underlying mechanisms have been difficult to study due to a lack of small animal models. In humans, polymorphisms in the gene encoding interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3), an antiviral restriction factor, are associated with susceptibility to severe influenza, but whether IFITM3 deficiencies contribute to other aspects of pathogenesis, including cardiac dysfunction, is unknown. We now show that IFITM3 deficiency in a newly generated knockout (KO) mouse model exacerbates illness and mortality following influenza A virus infection. Enhanced pathogenesis correlated with increased replication of virus in the lungs, spleens, and hearts of KO mice relative to wildtype (WT) mice. IFITM3 KO mice exhibited normal cardiac function at baseline, but developed severely aberrant electrical activity upon infection, including decreased heart rate and irregular, arrhythmic RR (interbeat) intervals. In contrast, WT mice exhibited a mild decrease in heart rate without irregularity of RR intervals. Heightened cardiac virus titers and electrical dysfunction in KO animals was accompanied by increased activation of fibrotic pathways and fibrotic lesions in the heart. Our findings reveal an essential role for IFITM3 in controlling influenza virus replication and pathogenesis in heart tissue and establish IFITM3 KO mice as a powerful model to study virus-induced cardiac dysfunction.

scholarly journals Routine blood parameters are helpful for early identification of influenza infection in children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronghe Zhu ◽  
Cuie Chen ◽  
Qiu Wang ◽  
Xixi Zhang ◽  
Chaosheng Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Infection ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Cutoff Value ◽  
Routine Blood ◽  
Influenza A Virus Infection

Abstract Purpose Routine blood parameters, such as the lymphocyte (LYM) count, platelet (PLT) count, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), LYM*PLT and mean platelet volume-to-platelet ratio (MPV/PLT), are widely used to predict the prognosis of infectious diseases. We aimed to explore the value of these parameters in the early identification of influenza virus infection in children.Methods We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study of fever with influenza-like symptoms in pediatric outpatients from different age groups and evaluated the predictive value of various routine blood parameters measured within 48 hours of the onset of fever for influenza virus infection.Results The LYM count, PLT count, LMR and LYM*PLT were lower, and the NLR and MPV/PLT were higher in children with an influenza infection (PCR-confirmed and symptomatic). The LYM count, LMR and LYM*PLT in the influenza infection group were lower in the 1- to 6-year-old subgroup, and the LMR and LYM*PLT in the influenza infection group were lower in the >6-year-old subgroup. In the 1- to 6-year-old subgroup, the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza A virus infection was 3.75, the sensitivity was 81.87%, the specificity was 84.31%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.886; the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza B virus infection was 3.71, the sensitivity was 73.58%, the specificity was 84.31%, and the AUC was 0.843. In the >6-year-old subgroup, the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza A virus infection was 3.05, the sensitivity was 89.27%, the specificity was 89.61%, and the AUC was 0.949; the cutoff value of the LMR for predicting influenza B virus infection was 2.88, the sensitivity was 83.19%, the specificity was 92.21%, and the AUC was 0.924.Conclusions Routine blood tests are simple, inexpensive and easy to perform, and they are useful for the early identification of influenza virus infection in children. The LMR had the strongest predictive value for influenza virus infection in children older than 1 year, particularly influenza A virus infection.

scholarly journals Methods for Molecular Surveillance of Influenza Used in Macedonia

PRILOZI ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Golubinka Bosevska ◽  
Elizabeta Janceska ◽  
Gordana Kuzmanovska ◽  
Vladimir Mikik ◽  
Nikola Panovski
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Rna Extraction ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Nose And Throat

AbstractThe aim: To present and compare different Nucleic Acid Testing assays used for laboratory diagnosis of influenza virus infection in our country.Materials and methods: Respiratory samples used were nose and throat swabs. The RNA extraction was performed with a QIAamp viral RNA kit. During the season 2009–2010 the first 25 samples were tested with: conventional gel-based RT-PCR and CDC rtRT-PCR using published specific matrix and HA gene primers and probes for influenza virus typing and subtyping.Results: Of 25 samples tested with conventional RT-PCR7(28%) were positive for influenza A, but negative for A/H1seasonal and A/H3. Retested with rtRT-PCR 9(36%) were positive for influenza A, 8(32%) were positive for A/H1pdm and 1(4%) was A/H3. Two samples positive with rtRT-PCR for influenza A were negative with RT-PCR. The sensitivity of the RT-PCR in comparison with rtRT-PCR is 100% and the specificity is 88.89%. Positive predictive value for RT-PCR is 77.78%, and negative predictive value is 100%. RT-PCR is a four-step and rtRT-PCR a one-step procedure. The turn-around time of RT-PCR is 6 hours and for rtRT-PCR it is 2 hours.Discussion and conclusion: For surveillance purposes nose and throat swabs are the more easy and practical to collect. It was proved that RT-PCR is too laborious, multi-step and time-consuming. The sensitivity of both assays is equal. The specificity of rtRT-PCR is higher. NAT assays for detection of influenza viruses have become an integral component of the surveillance programme in our country. They provide a fast, accurate and sensitive detection of influenza.

scholarly journals Serum High-Mobility-Group Box 1 as a Biomarker and a Therapeutic Target during Respiratory Virus Infections

mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira C. Patel ◽  
Kari Ann Shirey ◽  
Marina S. Boukhvalova ◽  
Stefanie N. Vogel ◽  
Jorge C. G. Blanco
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Influenza B Virus ◽  
Influenza B ◽  
Lung Pathology ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Cotton Rats

ABSTRACT Host-derived “danger-associated molecular patterns” (DAMPs) contribute to innate immune responses and serve as markers of disease progression and severity for inflammatory and infectious diseases. There is accumulating evidence that generation of DAMPs such as oxidized phospholipids and high-mobility-group box 1 (HMGB1) during influenza virus infection leads to acute lung injury (ALI). Treatment of influenza virus-infected mice and cotton rats with the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonist Eritoran blocked DAMP accumulation and ameliorated influenza virus-induced ALI. However, changes in systemic HMGB1 kinetics during the course of influenza virus infection in animal models and humans have yet to establish an association of HMGB1 release with influenza virus infection. To this end, we used the cotton rat model that is permissive to nonadapted strains of influenza A and B viruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human rhinoviruses (HRVs). Serum HMGB1 levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) prior to infection until day 14 or 18 post-infection. Infection with either influenza A or B virus resulted in a robust increase in serum HMGB1 levels that decreased by days 14 to 18. Inoculation with the live attenuated vaccine FluMist resulted in HMGB1 levels that were significantly lower than those with infection with live influenza viruses. RSV and HRVs showed profiles of serum HMGB1 induction that were consistent with their replication and degree of lung pathology in cotton rats. We further showed that therapeutic treatment with Eritoran of cotton rats infected with influenza B virus significantly blunted serum HMGB1 levels and improved lung pathology, without inhibiting virus replication. These findings support the use of drugs that block HMGB1 to combat influenza virus-induced ALI. IMPORTANCE Influenza virus is a common infectious agent causing serious seasonal epidemics, and there is urgent need to develop an alternative treatment modality for influenza virus infection. Recently, host-derived DAMPs, such as oxidized phospholipids and HMGB1, were shown to be generated during influenza virus infection and cause ALI. To establish a clear link between influenza virus infection and HMGB1 as a biomarker, we have systematically analyzed temporal patterns of serum HMGB1 release in cotton rats infected with nonadapted strains of influenza A and B viruses and compared these patterns with a live attenuated influenza vaccine and infection by other respiratory viruses. Towards development of a new therapeutic modality, we show herein that blocking serum HMGB1 levels by Eritoran improves lung pathology in influenza B virus-infected cotton rats. Our study is the first report of systemic HMGB1 as a potential biomarker of severity in respiratory virus infections and confirms that drugs that block virus-induced HMGB1 ameliorate ALI.

Combined Effect of Influenza Virus Infection and Urethan Treatment on the Incidence of Lung: Tumors in Mice.

1965 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 401-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Casazza ◽  
Marcello Gaetani ◽  
Mario Ghione ◽  
Enrico Turolla
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Joint Action ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Alveolar Epithelium ◽  
Bronchial Epithelium ◽  
Lung Tumors ◽  
Pulmonary Tissue ◽  
Two Agents

Swiss mice were intranasally infected with influenza A2 virus and treated with urethan in order to detect whether the joint action of the two agents would enhance the development of lung tumors. The average number per mouse of the typical lesions induced by the two treatments together with their location, their histological and histochemical characteristics and the percentage of death in the different groups of animals were recorded. Results indicated that 51.7 % of the mice infected with influenza virus and treated with urethan had both bronchial dysplastic lesions due to influenza virus, and tumors induced by urethan. In this group the number of tumors was smaller than in the mice treated with the carcinogen only and no invasive pulmonary carcinomas were observed. The dysplastic lesions caused by influenza A2 virus as well as the lung adenomas induced by urethan maintained their typical histological and histochemical characteristics even when occurring in a close position. The failure of urethan to enhance the induction of lung tumors in mice exposed to influenzal infection might be ascribed to the different primary sites of response of the pulmonary tissue to the two agents, i.e. the bronchial epithelium for influenza virus and the alveolar epithelium for urethan.

scholarly journals Deep Mutational Scan of the Highly Conserved Influenza A Virus M1 Matrix Protein Reveals Substantial Intrinsic Mutational Tolerance

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Hom ◽  
Lauren Gentles ◽  
Jesse D. Bloom ◽  
Kelly K. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Viral Replication ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Matrix Protein ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Sequence Diversity ◽  
Virus Protein

ABSTRACTInfluenza A virus matrix protein M1 is involved in multiple stages of the viral infectious cycle. Despite its functional importance, our present understanding of this essential viral protein is limited. The roles of a small subset of specific amino acids have been reported, but a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between M1 sequence, structure, and virus fitness remains elusive. In this study, we used deep mutational scanning to measure the effect of every amino acid substitution in M1 on viral replication in cell culture. The map of amino acid mutational tolerance we have generated allows us to identify sites that are functionally constrained in cell culture as well as sites that are less constrained. Several sites that exhibit low tolerance to mutation have been found to be critical for M1 function and production of viable virions. Surprisingly, significant portions of the M1 sequence, especially in the C-terminal domain, whose structure is undetermined, were found to be highly tolerant of amino acid variation, despite having extremely low levels of sequence diversity among natural influenza virus strains. This unexpected discrepancy indicates that not all sites in M1 that exhibit high sequence conservation in nature are under strong constraint during selection for viral replication in cell culture.IMPORTANCEThe M1 matrix protein is critical for many stages of the influenza virus infection cycle. Currently, we have an incomplete understanding of this highly conserved protein’s function and structure. Key regions of M1, particularly in the C terminus of the protein, remain poorly characterized. In this study, we used deep mutational scanning to determine the extent of M1’s tolerance to mutation. Surprisingly, nearly two-thirds of the M1 sequence exhibits a high tolerance for substitutions, contrary to the extremely low sequence diversity observed across naturally occurring M1 isolates. Sites with low mutational tolerance were also identified, suggesting that they likely play critical functional roles and are under selective pressure. These results reveal the intrinsic mutational tolerance throughout M1 and shape future inquiries probing the functions of this essential influenza A virus protein.

scholarly journals Preexisting immunity shapes distinct antibody landscapes after influenza virus infection and vaccination in humans

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (573) ◽  
pp. eabd3601
Author(s):  
Haley L. Dugan ◽  
Jenna J. Guthmiller ◽  
Philip Arevalo ◽  
Min Huang ◽  
Yao-Qing Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Virus Infection ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Memory B Cells ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Protective Antibody ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Neutralizing Epitopes

Humans are repeatedly exposed to variants of influenza virus throughout their lifetime. As a result, preexisting influenza-specific memory B cells can dominate the response after infection or vaccination. Memory B cells recalled by adulthood exposure are largely reactive to conserved viral epitopes present in childhood strains, posing unclear consequences on the ability of B cells to adapt to and neutralize newly emerged strains. We sought to investigate the impact of preexisting immunity on generation of protective antibody responses to conserved viral epitopes upon influenza virus infection and vaccination in humans. We accomplished this by characterizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from plasmablasts, which are predominantly derived from preexisting memory B cells. We found that, whereas some influenza infection–induced mAbs bound conserved and neutralizing epitopes on the hemagglutinin (HA) stalk domain or neuraminidase, most of the mAbs elicited by infection targeted non-neutralizing epitopes on nucleoprotein and other unknown antigens. Furthermore, most infection-induced mAbs had equal or stronger affinity to childhood strains, indicating recall of memory B cells from childhood exposures. Vaccination-induced mAbs were similarly induced from past exposures and exhibited substantial breadth of viral binding, although, in contrast to infection-induced mAbs, they targeted neutralizing HA head epitopes. Last, cocktails of infection-induced mAbs displayed reduced protective ability in mice compared to vaccination-induced mAbs. These findings reveal that both preexisting immunity and exposure type shape protective antibody responses to conserved influenza virus epitopes in humans. Natural infection largely recalls cross-reactive memory B cells against non-neutralizing epitopes, whereas vaccination harnesses preexisting immunity to target protective HA epitopes.

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