School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Myrna JM Bunte
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Conor J Bloxham
School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Silvie Van den Hoecke
VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Yin Xiang Setoh
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
Bram Vrancken
KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Evolutionary and Computational Virology, Leuven, Belgium
Monique Spronken
Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Lauren E Steele
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Nathalie AJ Verzele
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Kyle R Upton
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Alexander A Khromykh
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Keng Yih Chew
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Maria Sukkar
Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia; Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
Simon Phipps
Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Influenza virus has a high mutation rate, such that within one host different viral variants can emerge. Evidence suggests that influenza virus variants are more prevalent in pregnant and/or obese individuals due to their impaired interferon response. We have recently shown that the non-allergic, paucigranulocytic subtype of asthma is associated with impaired type I interferon production. Here, we seek to address if this is associated with an increased emergence of influenza virus variants. Compared to controls, mice with paucigranulocytic asthma had increased disease severity and an increased emergence of influenza virus variants. Specifically, PB1 mutations exclusively detected in asthmatic mice were associated with increased polymerase activity. Furthermore, asthmatic host-derived virus led to increased disease severity in wild-type mice. Taken together, these data suggest that at least a subset of patients with asthma may be more susceptible to severe influenza and may be a possible source of new influenza virus variants.
