Comparison of transcriptional responses between pathogenic and nonpathogenic hantavirus infections in syrian hamsters using nanostring

Abstract

Background Syrian hamsters infected with Andes virus (ANDV) develop a disease that recapitulates many of the salient features of human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), including lethality. Infection of hamsters with Hantaan virus (HTNV) results in an asymptomatic, dis-seminated infection. In order to explore this dichotomy, we examined the transcriptome of ANDV-and HTNV-infected hamsters. Results Using NanoString technology, we examined kinetic transcriptional responses in whole blood collected from ANDV-and HTNV-infected hamsters. Of the 770 genes analyzed, key differences were noted in the kinetics of type I interferon sensing and signaling responses, complement activation, and apoptosis pathways between ANDV-and HTNV-infected hamsters. Conclusions Delayed activation of type I interferon responses in ANDV-infected hamsters represents a potential mechanism that ANDV uses to subvert host immune responses and enhance dis-ease. This is the first genome-wide analysis of hantavirus-infected hamsters and provides insight into potential avenues for therapeutics to hantavirus disease.