Antibody-independent thrombocytopenia in lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus-infected mice

Dan Su1, Andrei Musaji, Sarah Legrain

  • 1Unit of Experimental Medicine, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.

Journal of Virology
|August 31, 2012
PubMed

Previously we demonstrated that antibody-mediated thrombocytopenia is strongly enhanced by lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) infection. Here we report that mice infected with LDV develop a moderate thrombocytopenia, even in the absence of immunoglobulins or Fc receptors. A similar decrease of platelet counts was observed after mouse hepatitis virus infection. LDV-induced type I interferon-independent thrombocytopenia was partly suppressed by treatment with clodronate-containing liposomes. Therefore, we conclude that the thrombocytopenia results from increased phagocytosis of nonopsonized platelets by macrophages.

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