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A Primate Model for Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
Maria S Salvato1, Igor S Lukashevich2, Yida Yang3
1University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA. msalvato@ihv.umaryland.edu.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 8, 2017
Summary
This study details a rhesus macaque model for Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic fever. Researchers identified early blood changes in the pre-viremic stage predictive of disease progression in this primate model.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Primate Models
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strain WE (LCMV-WE), a Risk Group 3 virus, serves as a model for Lassa fever virus (Risk Group 4).
- Disease progression in rhesus monkeys infected with LCMV-WE is characterized by three stages: pre-viremic, viremic, and terminal.
- Early, pre-viremic blood profile changes can predict later disease stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify pathognomonic changes in the pre-viremic stage of LCMV-WE infection.
- To establish a robust nonhuman primate model for studying viral hemorrhagic fevers.
- To provide a guide for utilizing the rhesus macaque model for Lassa fever research.
Main Methods:
- Infection of rhesus macaques with Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strain WE (LCMV-WE).
- Parallel infection with an attenuated virus (LCMV-Armstrong) to differentiate specific disease markers.
- Profiling of disease stages: pre-viremic, viremic, and terminal.
Main Results:
- The pre-viremic stage exhibits blood profile alterations that are predictive of subsequent disease progression.
- Comparative infection with LCMV-Armstrong aids in identifying pathognomonic markers.
- The rhesus macaque model effectively recapitulates key aspects of Lassa fever.
Conclusions:
- The rhesus macaque model is valuable for studying viral hemorrhagic fevers, particularly Lassa fever.
- Early detection of specific blood markers in the pre-viremic stage is crucial for understanding disease trajectory.
- This model facilitates research into pathogenesis and potential therapeutic interventions for Lassa fever.
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