Localization and changes of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus in lymphocyte subpopulation

Double-labeled immunocytochemistry was used for studying the localization and distribution of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome virus (HFRSV) antigen in the peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in HFRS patients and the quantitative changes of these subpopulations. It was found that HFRSV might infect different subpopulations of lymphocytes. The infection rate of B cells (31.3%) was significantly higher than that of T cells (8.5%), and the infection rate of CD8+ subpopulation (10.5%) was significantly higher than that of CD4+ subpopulation (6.1%). The infection rates of HLA-DR+ cells and Tac+ cells were 2.5% and less than 0.5%, respectively. From febrile to oliguric stage, the number of CD8+ cells increased gradually, leading to a decrease and reverse of CD4/CD8 ratio, while the number of CD4+ cells remained almost unchanged. The appearance and disappearance of HFRSV in lymphocytes were closely associated with the dynamic changes of CD4/CD8 ratio and HLA-DR and Tac expressions. The results suggested that there were certain differences in HFRSV infectivity of different lymphocyte subpopulations, which might be due to the disorders of immunoregulation and immunopathology of HFRS.