Bronchotracheal Response in Human Influenza

Abstract

In contrast to the ubiquity of human influenzal infection, documentation of the accompanying characteristic histopathologic alterations is limited. This is largely due to the generally nonfatal course of influenza in man. Further difficulties arise from the almost constant presence of complicating bacterial infection in fatal cases. Such circumstances are indeed unfortunate in the light of current limitations in the prevention and treatment of influenza. For these reasons, a major objective of our multidisciplinary investigation^1-3of pandemic influenza (Type A, Asian Strain) was the histologic study of the tracheobronchial tree in influenza uncomplicated by bacterial infection. To our knowledge this is the first description as studied by bronchoscopic biopsy of the mucosal response in humans to uncomplicated influenza. Material and Methods Initially, bronchoscopy and tracheobronchial mucosal biopsy were performed from 1 to 7 days after the acute onset of symptoms in 12 young adults with apparent uncomplicated influenza. Subsequent studies