title: Influenza A virus infects macrophages and stimulates release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
abstract: The clinical picture of influenza A virus infections indicates that release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) may be involved. In the present study we exposed the murine macrophage line PU5-1.8 to influenza A virus and observed a productive infection which was followed by subsequent cell death. Infection of macrophages was accompanied by TNF-alpha mRNA accumulation and TNF-alpha release. TNF-alpha production could only be induced by live virus whereas interferon release was also stimulated by inactivated virus. When virus-infected macrophages were exposed to low amounts of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1-10 ng/ml) TNF-alpha production was strongly potentiated. These data show that low LPS concentrations could readily trigger a high TNF-alpha release from influenza-A-virus-infected macrophages which could, at least partially, explain the serious complications of combined influenza A virus and bacterial infections.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Philipps University, Marburg, FRG.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hinder
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bender
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sprenger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nain
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gemsa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha