Human Skin Fibroblasts Are Nonpermissive to Coxsackie B4 Infection: an Age-Dependent Phenomenon

Abstract

Human skin fibroblasts were previously shown to be resistant to coxsackie B4 virus infection. We have cultured fibroblasts from skin and lung tissues of donors of various ages. By a novel method for direct assay of virus adsorption and penetration, we have shown that skin fibroblasts from young fetuses are susceptible to coxsackie B4 infection, whereas those from older fetuses, children and adults are not and that this refractoriness is caused by a tissue-specific block to virus penetration.

Importance of Virus Passage History on the Growth of Coxsackie B4 in Human Skin Fibroblasts

“…We have shown that the virus will replicate and produce CPE in human skin fibroblasts regardless of the age of the donor of the cells. The passage history of the virus was found to influence the titre of the virus in these cells.It has been reported that fibroblasts from young fetuses are susceptible to infection by coxsackie B4 virus, while those from older fetuses, children, and adults are resistant [Hornberger and Plotkin, 1983]. These au thors hypothesized that this refractoriness was an age-dependent phenomenon.…”

“…The strain of coxsackie B4 used in the study by Hornberger and Plotkin [1983] (CB4-JVB) was serially passaged five times in MRC-5 cells before assay in skin fibroblast cultures. These authors reported an increase in virus titre only in cells from fetuses smaller than 30 g, while cells from larger fetuses, neonates, and adults were resistant to in fection with CB4-JVB, and suggested that this refractoriness may be due to an age-dependent phenomenon.…”