Expression of profibrotic growth factors and their receptors by mouse lung macrophages and fibroblasts under conditions of acute viral inflammation in influenza A/H5N1 virus

Morphological signs of early interstitial fi brosis, developing under conditions of acute viral inflammation (postinfection days 1-14), were observed in C57Bl/6 mice infected with influenza A/H5N1 A/goose/Krasnoozerskoye/627/05 virus. The development of fi brosis was confirmed by an increase in the number of lung cells expressing TNF-α. These changes were recorded in the presence of a many-fold increase in the counts of macrophages and fi broblasts expressing FGF, EGF, and their receptors.