Pathological study of severe influenza

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460447
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human pathology
• Research Institution: National Institute of Infectious Diseases
• Principal Investigator: Nakajima Noriko 国立感染症研究所, 感染病理部, 室長 (60333358)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 重症インフルエンザ / インフルエンザ脳症 / ARDS / サイトカインストーム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although influenza is a self-limited disease, patients are complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), encephalopathy, myocarditis symptoms and may die in some cases. Using pathological and molecular biological methods, we have examined autopsied tissues with influenza virus to find two pathological mechanisms of ARDS. One mechanism involves influenza virus clone that replicates well in alveolar epithelial cells. The patients develop viral pneumonia complicated with ARDS of pulmonary origin, which then leads to respiratory failure and the death of patients. The other mechanism involves infection-induced excessive immune responses. This then develops systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) concurrently with ARDS, and causes multiple organ failures. Furthermore, higher expression levels of inflammatory mediators were observed in brain tissues with influenza encephalopathy.

Free Research Field

感染症病理学