title: Acute dengue virus 2 infection in Gabonese patients is associated with an early innate immune response, including strong interferon alpha production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dengue is now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the tropics. We conducted the first ex vivo study of dengue fever (DF) in African patients infected during the first Gabonese dengue virus 2 (DENV-2) outbreak in 2007, in order to investigate cytokine production, including the antiviral cytokine IFN-α, reported to be a potent inhibitor of DENV replication in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Levels of 50 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors were measured in plasma from 36 patients with DENV-2 infection, and in uninfected controls, using Luminex multiplex technology. The results were interpreted according to the day of sampling after symptom onset. PBMC from six patients were also studied for T lymphocyte cell surface marker expression by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute DENV-2 infection elicited high levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-17), chemokines (MIF, RANTES, IP-10 and MCP-1) and growth factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF and VEGF-A). We also observed high levels of IFN-α for the first time in adult DF patients, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation at symptom onset.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute DENV-2 infection in African patients elicits a strong innate response involving IFN-α production, as well as an adaptive immune response.
authors.affiliation: Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, BP 769 Franceville, Gabon. pierre.becquart@ird.fr
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Becquart
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wauquier
authors.forename: Dieudonné
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nkoghe
authors.forename: Angélique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ndjoyi-Mbiguino
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Souris
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Leroy
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D003715:Dengue / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005681:Gabon; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016898:Interferon-alpha