Abstract
BackgroundMannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component of innate immunity because it promotes bacterial clearance and neutralization of human influenza A viruses. Since a majority of humans have no neutralizing antibody against the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza (pandemic 2009) virus, innate immunity may be crucial and MBL susceptibility may therefore influence viral pathogenesis.ResultsWe examined MBL susceptibility of influenza A viruses and observed that the pandemic 2009 virus was resistant to MBL, whereas all seasonal influenza A viruses tested were susceptible. The mortality of mice infected with a seasonal H1N1 influenza virus was evidently enhanced on transient blockage of MBL activity by simultaneous inoculation of mannan, whereas mannan inoculation had no effect on mice infected with a pandemic 2009 virus. This indicates that MBL protects mice against infection with the seasonal virus but not against that with the pandemic 2009 virus.ConclusionsThese results indicate that the pandemic 2009 virus is not susceptible to MBL, an important component of innate immunity.
Highlights
Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component of innate immunity because it promotes bacterial clearance and neutralization of human influenza A viruses
Most human serum contains a high titer of neutralizing antibodies against the seasonal influenza viruses, whereas the MBL content is usually low
Mouse serum contains a high titer of MBL and the sugar recognition specificity of murine MBL closely resembles that of human MBL [5,7,12,13], and the minimum concentration of murine MBL required to generate anti-influenza neutralizing activity almost closely resembles that of human MBL [4,6,8,9]
Summary
Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important component of innate immunity because it promotes bacterial clearance and neutralization of human influenza A viruses. Since a majority of humans have no neutralizing antibody against the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza (pandemic 2009) virus, innate immunity may be crucial and MBL susceptibility may influence viral pathogenesis. A novel influenza virus of swine origin, which emerged in North America in 2009, rapidly spread worldwide and caused the influenza pandemic 2009. This virus was classified as type A and subtype H1N1 according to the antigenicity of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase proteins [1]. Prior to an acquired immune response, especially in case of primary infection with a foreign pathogen, innate immunity is crucial for host
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