Differing Susceptibility of Adolescent and Adult Mice to Non-lethal Infection with Coxsackievirus B 3 1

Summary

Nonlethal infection of adult (4-5 month old) MF-1 mice with coxsackievirus B₃ results in greater amounts of infective virus in their hearts and pancreases and more extensive lesions in these organs than are observed in adolescent (2 month old) animals. While significant differences in neutralizing antibody response to coxsackievirus infection were not demonstrated, adult animals produced relatively less interferon in response to infection and absolutely less in response to administration of Newcastle disease virus than did the younger animals.

Present evidence is inconclusive that differences in interferon formation account for the age-related difference in viral susceptibility observed in this model system.

The findings of the present study are in accord with clinical and epidemiologic evidence that the severity of viral infection increases with advancing age, if the contributions to resistance of the neonatal state or previously acquired specific immunity be excluded from consideration.