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Journal of Virology, September 2000, p. 8213-8217, Vol. 74, No. 17
Department of Molecular Microbiology and
Immunology, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health,
Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2179
Received 14 April 2000/Accepted 8 June 2000
Field studies of hantavirus infection in rodents report that a
higher percentage of infected individuals are males than females. To
determine whether males were more susceptible to hantavirus infection
than females, adult male and female Long Evans rats (Rattus
norvegicus) were inoculated with doses of Seoul virus ranging
from 10
0022-538X/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Sex Differences in Seoul Virus Infection Are Not
Related to Adult Sex Steroid Concentrations in Norway Rats
4 to 106 PFU. The 50% infective doses
(ID50) were not significantly different for male and female
rats (100.05 and 100.8 PFU, respectively). To
determine whether sex differences in response to infection were related
to circulating sex steroid hormones, sex steroid concentrations were
manipulated and antibody responses and virus shedding were assessed
following inoculation with the ID90. Regardless of hormone
treatment, males had higher anti-Seoul virus immunoglobulin G (IgG) and
IgG2a (i.e., Th1) responses than females and IgG1 (i.e., Th2) responses
similar to those of females. Males also shed virus in saliva and feces
longer than females. Manipulation of sex steroids in adulthood did not
alter immune responses or virus shedding, suggesting that sex steroids
may organize adult responses to hantavirus earlier during ontogeny.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205-2179. Phone:
(410) 955-3708. Fax: (410) 955-0105. E-mail:
ggurrigl{at}jhsph.edu.
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