Age-dependent glycomic response to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and its association with disease severity

Influenza A viruses cause a spectrum of responses, from mild cold-like symptoms to severe respiratory illness and death. Viral strains and intrinsic host factors, such as age, can influence the severity of the disease. Glycosylation plays a critical role in influenza pathogenesis, however the molecular drivers of influenza outcomes remain unknown. In this work, we characterized the glycomic response to the H1N1 2009 pandemic influenza A virus in age-dependent severity. Using a ferret model and a lectin microarray technology we have developed, we compared responses in newly weaned and aged animals, a model for young children and the elderly, respectively. Glycomic analysis revealed changes in glycosylation over the course of the infection, that were associated with severity in an age-dependent manner. These responses may help explain the differential susceptibility to influenza A virus infection of young children and the elderly. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=98 SRC="FIGDIR/small/165613v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (20K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c5aebdorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@15316e6org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@45ff3org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1376533_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG