Innate Immune Responses to Shrew-borne Hantaviruses

Recent studies demonstrate genetically distinct hantaviruses in shrews, moles and bats. The immunological responses to these newfound hantaviruses in humans are unknown. We compared the innate immune responses to Imjin virus (MJNV) and Thottapalayam virus (TPMV), two shrew-borne hantaviruses, with that toward two rodent-borne hantaviruses, pathogenic Hantann virus (HTNV) and nonpathogenic Prospect Hill virus (PHV). Infection of human macrophages and endothelial cells with either HTNV or MJNV triggered productive viral replication and up-regulation of anti-viral responsive gene expression from day 1 to day 3 postinfection, compared with PHV and TPMV. Furthermore, HTNV, MJNV and TPMV infection led to prolonged increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines from days 3 to 7 postinfection. By contrast, PHV infection failed to induce pro-inflammatory responses. Distinct patterns of innate immune activation caused by MJNV suggest that it might be pathogenic to humans.

Shin OS, Yanagihara R, Song JW. Distinct innate immune responses in human macrophages and endothelial cells infected with shrew-borne hantaviruses. Virology. 2012 Dec 5;434(1):43-9. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2012.08.004. Epub 2012 Sep 1.