Long Term Subclinical Effects of Parainfluenza (SENDAI) Infection on Immune Cells of Aging Mice

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Abstract
The long-term effects of subclinical parainfluenza virus infection on the immune system of 8 strains and hybrids of aging mice were studied. Of the 63 wt, cellular, activity, and autoimmune indices tested, 55 were abnormal as late as 8 mo. after disappearance of clinical symptoms. Probably the most significant changes were the increase in the fragility of T [thymus-derived] and B [bone marrow-derived] cells and decrease in their proliferative capacities, which were associated with an increase in susceptibility to autoimmune disease. The long term sequelae of the viral infection including autoimmune disease were most severe in immunologically immature young, immunodepressed adult, and immunologically deficient old mice; e.g., the mortality of adult mice rendered T cell deficient by thymectomy alone or thymectomy followed by irradiation-bone marrow reconstitution was about 5% for both groups prior to infection and increased to 30 and 80%, respectively, after infection. All old mice converted to Coombs'' positivity. These findings may be of importance to studies of the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease in aging animals and humans.

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