title: Tumor necrosis factor as a mediator of inflammation in influenza A viral pneumonia.
abstract: The role of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in the pathogenesis of influenza A viral pneumonia was examined. CD-1 male mice were challenged intranasally with influenza A virus A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and administered rabbit anti-mouse TNF alpha-specific-neutralizing antibodies intraperitoneally. The effect of treatment on virus titer, TNF alpha levels, morbidity, mortality, and on pathologic lung lesions were compared with sham-treated controls. The severity of gross and histologic lung lesions positively correlated with the peak bronchoalveolar TNF alpha levels and was ameliorated with anti-TNF alpha treatment. Survivorship was prolonged in mice given a lethal dose of virus by treatment with TNF-alpha neutralizing antibodies. Reduction of TNF alpha levels by treatment with TNF alpha-antibodies did not affect virus titers in the lung. These results suggest that TNF alpha is a mediator of pulmonary inflammation during influenza A viral pneumonia, but may not play a significant anti-viral role in influenza pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Veterinary Medicine 61801, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Peper
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Campen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D011817:Rabbits; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha