1. Airway protease/antiprotease imbalance in atopic asthmatics contributes to increased influenza A virus cleavage and replication.
- Author
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Kesic MJ, Hernandez M, and Jaspers I
- Subjects
- Adult, Animals, Case-Control Studies, Dogs, Female, Humans, Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells, Male, Nasal Lavage Fluid chemistry, Young Adult, Asthma enzymology, Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus metabolism, Hypersensitivity, Immediate enzymology, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype enzymology, Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype growth & development, Nose enzymology, Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor metabolism, Serine Endopeptidases metabolism, Virus Replication
- Abstract
Asthmatics are more susceptible to influenza infections, yet mechanisms mediating this enhanced susceptibility are unknown. Influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) protein binds to sialic acid residues on the host cells. HA requires cleavage to allow fusion of the viral HA with host cell membrane, which is mediated by host trypsin-like serine protease. We show data here demonstrating that the protease:antiprotease ratio is increased in the nasal mucosa of asthmatics and that these changes were associated with increased proteolytic activation of influenza. These data suggest that disruption of the protease balance in asthmatics enhances activation and infection of influenza virus.
- Published
- 2012
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