Higher in vitro susceptibility of human T cells to H5N1 than H1N1 influenza viruses

Patients infected with H5N1 influenza A virus, who had a severe or fatal outcome, exhibited several characteristic clinical manifestations including lymphopenia. In this study, human CD4+ T-cell lines and healthy donor-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were examined for susceptibility to infection with Thai isolates of H5N1 in comparison to those of H1N1. Although cellular levels were variable between H5N1 and H1N1 in T-cell lines and PBMCs, rates of production of progeny virions were significantly higher in H5N1 infections, suggesting a more efficient release of virions. In addition, cytopathogenicity in PBMCs, leading to a decline in CD4+ T-cell numbers, were much severer with H5N1 than H1N1. Thus, human T cells could be an important target for infection with H5N1.