Viral shedding and immune responses to respiratory syncytial virus infection in older adults.

Background: Comprehensive analyses of host, viral, and immune factors associated with severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in adults have not been performed.

Methods: Adults with RSV infection identified in both outpatient and inpatient settings were evaluated. Upper and lower respiratory tract virus load, duration of virus shedding, select mucosal chemokine and cytokine levels, humoral and mucosal immunoglobulin responses, and systemic T-cell responses were measured.

The inability of vaccinia virus A33R protein to form intermolecular disulfide-bonded homodimers does not affect the production of infectious extracellular virus.

The orthopoxvirus protein A33 forms a disulfide-bonded high molecular weight species that could be either a homodimer or a heteromultimer. The protein is a major target for neutralizing antibodies and the majority of antibodies raised against A33 only recognize the disulfide-bonded form. Here, we report that A33 is present as a disulfide-bonded homodimer during infection.