Platelets Modulate Innate Immune Response Against Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus In Vitro.

Detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in blood, including mononuclear leukocytes and organs other than the lung, suggests that RSV disseminates outside the respiratory tract. In this study, the role of platelets in host defense against RSV was explored using an in vitro model. Platelets, also produced in the lungs, are increasingly recognized as an important part of host immune responses and may therefore play a role in modulating lung infections and clearing RSV viremia.

Actin- and clathrin-dependent mechanisms regulate interferon gamma release after stimulation of human immune cells with respiratory syncytial virus.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause recurrent and severe respiratory tract infections. Cytoskeletal proteins are often involved during viral infections, either for cell entry or the initiation of the immune response. The importance of actin and clathrin dynamics for cell entry and the initiation of the cellular immune response against RSV in human immune cells is not known yet.