title: Assessment of the antiviral properties of recombinant porcine SP-D against various influenza A viruses in vitro.
abstract: The emergence of influenza viruses resistant to existing classes of antiviral drugs raises concern and there is a need for novel antiviral agents that could be used therapeutically or prophylacticaly. Surfactant protein D (SP-D) belongs to the family of C-type lectins which are important effector molecules of the innate immune system with activity against bacteria and viruses, including influenza viruses. In the present study we evaluated the potential of recombinant porcine SP-D as an antiviral agent against influenza A viruses (IAVs) in vitro. To determine the range of antiviral activity, thirty IAVs of the subtypes H1N1, H3N2 and H5N1 that originated from birds, pigs and humans were selected and tested for their sensitivity to recombinant SP-D. Using these viruses it was shown by hemagglutination inhibition assay, that recombinant porcine SP-D was more potent than recombinant human SP-D and that especially higher order oligomeric forms of SP-D had the strongest antiviral activity. Porcine SP-D was active against a broad range of IAV strains and neutralized a variety of H1N1 and H3N2 IAVs, including 2009 pandemic H1N1 viruses. Using tissue sections of ferret and human trachea, we demonstrated that recombinant porcine SP-D prevented attachment of human seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 virus to receptors on epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract. It was concluded that recombinant porcine SP-D holds promise as a novel antiviral agent against influenza and further development and evaluation in vivo seems warranted.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marine L B
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hillaire
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Eijk
authors.forename: Stella E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: van Trierum
authors.forename: Debby
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Riel
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Saelens
authors.forename: Roland A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Romijn
authors.forename: Wieger
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hemrika
authors.forename: Ron A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fouchier
authors.forename: Thijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuiken
authors.forename: Albert D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: Henk P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Haagsman
authors.forename: Guus F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Rimmelzwaan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D005289:Ferrets; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014132:Trachea / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D009439:Neuraminidase