Summary
Hantaviruses cause two vascular permeability-based diseases and primarily infect endothelial
cells which form the primary fluid barrier of the vasculature. Since hantavirus infections
are not lytic, the mechanisms by which hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with
renal syndrome (HFRS) or Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) are indeterminate. HPS
is associated with acute pulmonary oedema and HFRS with moderate haemorrhage and renal
sequelae, perhaps reflecting the location of vast microvascular beds and endothelial
cell reservoirs available for hantavirus infection. Endothelial cells regulate capillary
integrity, and hantavirus infection provides a primary means for alteing vascular
permeability that contributes to pathogenesis. The central importance of endothelial
cells in regulating oedema, vascular repair, angiogenesis, immune cell recruitment,
platelet deposition as well as gas exchange and solute delivery suggest that a multitude
of inputs and cellular responses may be influenced by hantavirus infection and contribute
to pathogenic changes in vascular permeability. Here we focus on understanding hantavirus
interactions with endothelial cells which are linked to vascular permeability, and
provide insight into the contribution of endothelial cell responses in hantavirus
pathogenesis.
Keywords
Virology - endothelial cells - integrins - hypoxia - chemokines