Influenza Virus Infection of Human Alveolar and Peripheral Blood-Derived Macrophages

Influenza virus infection of the lung has been shown, in animal models as well as in isolated human case reports, to cause a long-term alveolitis characterized by increased numbers of free lung macrophages. Recruitment of peripheral blood monocytes into the interstitial spaces, with subsequent maturation into tissue macrophages, accounts for most of the observed increase in cell numbers. The current studies examined the release of soluble...