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Autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) can underlie critical COVID-19 pneumonia and yellow fever vaccine disease. We report here on 13 patients harboring autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-α2 alone (five patients) or with IFN-ω (eight patients) from a cohort of 279 patients (4.7%) aged 6-73 yr with critical influenza pneumonia. Nine and four patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-α2, and six and two patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-ω. The patients' autoantibodies increased influenza A virus replication in both A549 cells and reconstituted human airway epithelia. The prevalence of these antibodies was significantly higher than that in the general population for patients <70 yr of age (5.7 vs. 1.1%, P = 2.2 × 10-5), but not >70 yr of age (3.1 vs. 4.4%, P = 0.68). The risk of critical influenza was highest in patients with antibodies neutralizing high concentrations of both IFN-α2 and IFN-ω (OR = 11.7, P = 1.3 × 10-5), especially those <70 yr old (OR = 139.9, P = 3.1 × 10-10). We also identified 10 patients in additional influenza patient cohorts. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs account for ∼5% of cases of life-threatening influenza pneumonia in patients <70 yr old., (© 2022 Zhang et al.)

An indirect immunohistochemical method in which an avidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex is bound to the secondary antibody was used to visualize substance P-immunoreactive (SPI) nerves in the rat kidney. Rats were perfused with 2% paraformaldehyde + 0.15% picric acid in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, then transferred to the buffer. After 24-48 h, the kidneys were sectioned with a Vibratome at 200 or 300 micron and incubated in the primary antiserum for 18 h at room temperature. A dense plexus of SPI nerves innervates the rat renal calyx. A small proportion of intrarenal SPI axons innervates interlobular arteries and afferent arterioles, but most perivascular SPI axons terminate on interlobar and arcuate arteries. The densest plexuses are located on segments of interlobar arteries near the hilus of the kidney. Some of these axons probably are nociceptive; others may be chemo- or baroreceptive.

An indirect immunohistochemical method in which an avidin-biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex is bound to the secondary antibody was used to visualize vasoactive intestinal peptide-immunoreactive (VIPI) nerves in the rat kidney. Rats were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde or 2% paraformaldehyde + 0.15% picric acid in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, then transferred to the buffer. After 24-48 hours, the kidneys were sectioned with a Vibratome at 200 or 300 micron and incubated in the primary antiserum for 18 hours at room temperature. A sparse plexus of VIPI nerves innervates the rat renal calyx. Some VIPI nerves innervate interlobar arteries and each succeeding segment of the arterial tree including afferent arterioles, but most innervate arcuate and interlobular arteries. VIPI axons do not innervate each arcuate artery or each interlobular branch of an arcuate artery with equal density. Although some axons follow each interlobular branch, most form a dense plexus on only one or two branches. Therefore, most VIPI nerves in the rat kidney innervate a restricted segment of the renal arterial tree. These nerves may be efferent and may selectively dilate arcuate and smaller arteries, or they may be afferent and may sense local changes in mechanical or chemical parameters.