Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.

Alveolar macrophages (AM) are critical for defense against bacterial and fungal infections. However, a definitive role of AM in viral infections remains unclear. We here report that AM play a key role in survival to influenza and vaccinia virus infection by maintaining lung function and thereby prot...

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Main Authors: Christoph Schneider, Samuel P Nobs, Alex K Heer, Michael Kurrer, Glynis Klinke, Nico van Rooijen, Johannes Vogel, Manfred Kopf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-04-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1004053&type=printable
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author Christoph Schneider
Samuel P Nobs
Alex K Heer
Michael Kurrer
Glynis Klinke
Nico van Rooijen
Johannes Vogel
Manfred Kopf
author_facet Christoph Schneider
Samuel P Nobs
Alex K Heer
Michael Kurrer
Glynis Klinke
Nico van Rooijen
Johannes Vogel
Manfred Kopf
author_sort Christoph Schneider
collection DOAJ
description Alveolar macrophages (AM) are critical for defense against bacterial and fungal infections. However, a definitive role of AM in viral infections remains unclear. We here report that AM play a key role in survival to influenza and vaccinia virus infection by maintaining lung function and thereby protecting from asphyxiation. Absence of AM in GM-CSF-deficient (Csf2-/-) mice or selective AM depletion in wild-type mice resulted in impaired gas exchange and fatal hypoxia associated with severe morbidity to influenza virus infection, while viral clearance was affected moderately. Virus-induced morbidity was far more severe in Csf2-/- mice lacking AM, as compared to Batf3-deficient mice lacking CD8α+ and CD103+ DCs. Csf2-/- mice showed intact anti-viral CD8+ T cell responses despite slightly impaired CD103+ DC development. Importantly, selective reconstitution of AM development in Csf2rb-/- mice by neonatal transfer of wild-type AM progenitors prevented severe morbidity and mortality, demonstrating that absence of AM alone is responsible for disease severity in mice lacking GM-CSF or its receptor. In addition, CD11c-Cre/Ppargfl/fl mice with a defect in AM but normal adaptive immunity showed increased morbidity and lung failure to influenza virus. Taken together, our results suggest a superior role of AM compared to CD103+ DCs in protection from acute influenza and vaccinia virus infection-induced morbidity and mortality.
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spelling doaj-art-b4192f1e80484aab8aeb96182700bffb2025-08-20T03:00:25ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742014-04-01104e100405310.1371/journal.ppat.1004053Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.Christoph SchneiderSamuel P NobsAlex K HeerMichael KurrerGlynis KlinkeNico van RooijenJohannes VogelManfred KopfAlveolar macrophages (AM) are critical for defense against bacterial and fungal infections. However, a definitive role of AM in viral infections remains unclear. We here report that AM play a key role in survival to influenza and vaccinia virus infection by maintaining lung function and thereby protecting from asphyxiation. Absence of AM in GM-CSF-deficient (Csf2-/-) mice or selective AM depletion in wild-type mice resulted in impaired gas exchange and fatal hypoxia associated with severe morbidity to influenza virus infection, while viral clearance was affected moderately. Virus-induced morbidity was far more severe in Csf2-/- mice lacking AM, as compared to Batf3-deficient mice lacking CD8α+ and CD103+ DCs. Csf2-/- mice showed intact anti-viral CD8+ T cell responses despite slightly impaired CD103+ DC development. Importantly, selective reconstitution of AM development in Csf2rb-/- mice by neonatal transfer of wild-type AM progenitors prevented severe morbidity and mortality, demonstrating that absence of AM alone is responsible for disease severity in mice lacking GM-CSF or its receptor. In addition, CD11c-Cre/Ppargfl/fl mice with a defect in AM but normal adaptive immunity showed increased morbidity and lung failure to influenza virus. Taken together, our results suggest a superior role of AM compared to CD103+ DCs in protection from acute influenza and vaccinia virus infection-induced morbidity and mortality.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1004053&type=printable
spellingShingle Christoph Schneider
Samuel P Nobs
Alex K Heer
Michael Kurrer
Glynis Klinke
Nico van Rooijen
Johannes Vogel
Manfred Kopf
Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.
PLoS Pathogens
title Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.
title_full Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.
title_fullStr Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.
title_full_unstemmed Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.
title_short Alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection.
title_sort alveolar macrophages are essential for protection from respiratory failure and associated morbidity following influenza virus infection
url https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1004053&type=printable
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