Viruses . Tropism and Infectivity of Pandemic Influenza A H1N1/09 Virus in the Human Placenta

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Viruses


. 2022 Dec 15;14(12):2807.
doi: 10.3390/v14122807.
Tropism and Infectivity of Pandemic Influenza A H1N1/09 Virus in the Human Placenta


Yan-Na Xiao ¹ , Fei-Yuan Yu ^{1 2} , Qian Xu ¹ , Jiang Gu ^{1 3}



Affiliations

• PMID: 36560811
• DOI: 10.3390/v14122807

Abstract

Influenza virus infection in pregnant women may put the fetus at higher risk; however, to date, there has been no detailed research about the expression of influenza virus receptors in the human placenta. We employed the lectin staining technique, which is a classic influenza virus receptor research method for studying the distribution of viral receptors in the human placenta. In addition, we examined the susceptibility of the human placenta to H1N1/09, by detecting viral proteins and RNA at different time points post-infection. We found that the human placenta expressed both avian and human influenza A virus receptors (α-2, 3-linked sialic acid and α-2, 6-linked sialic acid). In addition, H1N1/09 did not only infect the human placenta, but also replicated and was released into the culture media. We concluded that the human placenta is susceptible to the 2009 influenza A virus (H1N1/09) infection, and that particular attention should be paid to shielding pregnant women from infection during influenza season.

Keywords: human placenta; influenza A virus; pdmH1N1.