Endothelial cell function alteration after Junin virus infection.
Hematologic involvement is the main feature of Argentine hemorrhagic fever (AHF), an endemo-epidemic disease caused by Junin virus (JV). Since endothelial dysfunction could play a role in AHF-altered hemostasis, we studied human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) infection with a virulent (JVv) and a non-virulent (JVa) JV strain. Cells were infected by the two JV variants with no detectable apoptosis or cytopathic effect. Both viral variants up-regulated ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels, while von Willebrand factor (VWF) production was decreased. Prostacyclin (PGI2) release and decay accelerating factor (DAF) expression were greater in JVv- than in JVa-infected or control cells. Furthermore, nitric oxide (NO) production and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression was only raised in JVv-infected supernatants. Significant NO and PGI2 values were also detected in AHF patient sera. These data demonstrate that endothelial cell responses are triggered subsequently by JV infection, suggesting that such alterations play a major role in the pathogenesis of AHF and perhaps in other viral-induced hemorrhagic diseases.
Gomez
Ricardo Martin
RM
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, CONICET, Argentina.
Pozner
Roberto Gabriel
RG
Lazzari
Maria Angela
MA
D'Atri
Lina Paola
LP
Negrotto
Soledad
S
Chudzinski-Tavassi
Ana Marisa
AM
Berría
María Isabel
MI
Schattner
Mirta
M
D017209:Apoptosis; D001117:Arenaviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018958:CD55 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000378:metabolism; D006482:Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D018051:Junin virus; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D018958:CD55 Antigens; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D011464:Epoprostenol