Early Blood Profiles of Virus Infection in a Monkey Model for Lassa Fever

• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00536-07
• Publication Date: 2007-05-24T01:01:06Z
• Authors: Mahmoud M. Djavani; Oswald R. Crasta; Juan Carlos Zapata; Zhangjun Fei; Otto Folkerts; Bruno Sobral; Mark Swindells; Joseph Bryant; Harry Davis; C. David Pauza; Igor S. Lukashevich; Rasha Hammamieh; Marti Jett; Maria S. Salvato
• Keywords: Arenavirus; Lassa fever; Lassa virus; Viral Shedding

Acute arenavirus disease in primates, like Lassa hemorrhagic fever humans, begins with flu-like symptoms and leads to death approximately 2 weeks after infection. Our goal was identify molecular changes blood that are related progression. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) infected intravenously a lethal dose of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) provide model for infection humans. Blood samples taken before during the course were used monitor gene expression paralleled onset. Changes showed major disruptions eicosanoid, immune response, hormone response pathways. Approximately 12% host genes alter their LCMV infection, subset these can discriminate between virulent non-virulent Major transcription have been given preliminary confirmation by quantitative PCR protein studies will be valuable candidates future validation as biomarkers disease.