The Immunobiology of SARS*.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) presented as an atypical pneumonia that progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome in approximately 20% of cases and was associated with a mortality of about 10%. The etiological agent was a novel coronavirus (CoV). Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 is the functional receptor for SARS-CoV; DC-SIGN and CD209L (L-SIGN) can enhance viral entry. Although the virus infects the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, liver, and kidneys, the disease is limited to the lungs, where diffuse alveolar damage is accompanied by a disproportionately sparse inflammatory infiltrate. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, particularly IP-10, IL-8, and MCP-1, are elevated in the lungs and peripheral blood, but there is an unusual lack of an antiviral interferon (IFN) response. The virus is susceptible to exogenous type I IFN but suppresses the induction of IFN. Innate immunity is important for viral clearance in the mouse model. Virus-specific neutralizing antibodies that develop during convalescence prevent reinfection in animal models.
Chen
Jun
J
Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. chenju@niaid.nih.gov
Subbarao
Kanta
K
D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000276:immunology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000276:immunology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000276:immunology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D000099215:DC-Specific ICAM-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin
D000085962:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D018925:Chemokines; D007370:Interferon Type I; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D000099215:DC-Specific ICAM-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin; C433029:CLEC4M protein, human; C000705307:ACE2 protein, human; C000705328:Ace2 protein, mouse