Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus causes coagulopathy in chickens.
Severe hemorrhage at multiple organs is frequently observed in chickens infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A viruses. In this study we examined whether HPAI virus infection leads to coagulation disorder in chickens. Pathological examinations showed that the fibrin thrombi were formed in arterioles at the lung, associated with the viral antigens in endothelial cells of chickens infected intravenously with HPAI virus. Hematological analyses of peripheral blood collected from the chickens revealed that coagulopathy was initiated at early stage of infection when viral antigens were detected only in the endothelial cells and monocytes/macrophages. Furthermore, gene expression of the tissue factor, the main initiator of blood coagulation, was upregulated in the spleen, lung, and brain of HPAI virus-infected chickens. These results suggest that dysfunction of endothelial cells and monocytes/macrophages upon HPAI virus infection may induce hemostasis abnormalities represented by the excessive blood coagulation and consumptive coagulopathy in chickens.
Muramoto
Yukiko
Y
Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
Ozaki
Hiroichi
H
Takada
Ayato
A
Park
Chun-Ho
CH
Sunden
Yuji
Y
Umemura
Takashi
T
Kawaoka
Yoshihiro
Y
Matsuda
Haruo
H
Kida
Hiroshi
H
D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002645:Chickens; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008168:Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D010976:Platelet Count; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000235:genetics; D013927:Thrombosis
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013925:Thromboplastin