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The influenza virus hemagglutinin mediates secondary bacterial otitis media by inducing middle ear inflammation
Author(s) -
Wijburg Odilia,
Reading Patrick,
Browne Lorena,
Pedersen John,
Gilbertson Brad,
Hermans Peter,
DIavatopoulos Dimitri,
Short Kirsty
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.lb486
Subject(s) - otitis , immunology , middle ear , virus , virology , hemagglutinin (influenza) , biology , inflammation , meningitis , pneumonia , influenza a virus , disease , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , genetics , psychiatry , anatomy
Otitis media (OM) is an inflammatory disease of the middle ear that affects almost every child under the age of five and can lead to fatal meningitis or permanent hearing loss. We investigated the role of influenza A virus (IAV) surface proteins in inducing bacterial otitis media, using a novel infant mouse model and a panel of reassortant virus strains. Our results showed that the viral hemagglutinin (HA) facilitates pneumococcal OM. Of the two HA subtypes currently circulating in the community, only H3 viruses induced disease. The ability of H3 viruses to induce pneumococcal OM reflected their ability to induce middle ear inflammation, which was dependent on virus replication and enhanced viral titers in the middle ear following an H3, rather than H1, infection. The clinical relevance of these data was confirmed in vitro using human middle ear epithelial cells where we demonstrated that the HA of Udorn/72 mediated increased viral infection and inflammation. We conclude that the H3 HA plays a key role in the development of pneumococcal OM. These data provide an exciting contrast to previous studies on pneumococcal pneumonia and suggest that monitoring the HAs of circulating IAV strains may play an important role in predicting the likely incidence of bacterial OM. Thus, targeting the influenza HA may represent a novel therapeutic approach to prevent pneumococcal disease including OM. Supported by Australian NHMRC.