B-cell responses during primary and secondary dengue virus infections in humans

A Mathew, K West, S Kalayanarooj… - Journal of Infectious …, 2011 - academic.oup.com
A Mathew, K West, S Kalayanarooj, RV Gibbons, A Srikiatkhachorn, S Green, D Libraty
Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2011academic.oup.com
Low-avidity serotype–cross-reactive antibodies are hypothesized to play a key role in
triggering severe disease in patients with secondary dengue virus (DENV) infection.
However, there is little systematic information about the frequency, avidity, and cross-
reactivity of DENV-specific B cells in individuals experiencing primary instead of secondary
infection. We compared DENV-specific B-cell responses in a cohort of Thai children with
primary or secondary DENV infection. B cells specific for DENV precursor membrane …
Abstract
Low-avidity serotype–cross-reactive antibodies are hypothesized to play a key role in triggering severe disease in patients with secondary dengue virus (DENV) infection. However, there is little systematic information about the frequency, avidity, and cross-reactivity of DENV-specific B cells in individuals experiencing primary instead of secondary infection. We compared DENV-specific B-cell responses in a cohort of Thai children with primary or secondary DENV infection. B cells specific for DENV precursor membrane protein, envelope (E) protein, and nonstructural protein 1 were detectable in immune peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the highest frequencies of DENV E-specific B cells detected in patients experiencing primary DENV-1 infections. DENV E-specific B cells were highly serotype-specific after primary DENV infections, whereas most E-specific B cells in patients with secondary infection were serotype–cross-reactive and secreted antibodies with higher avidity to heterologous DENV serotypes. Our data suggest that the minor populations of serotype–cross-reactive B cells generated by primary DENV infection are preferentially expanded during secondary DENV infection.
Oxford University Press