title: T helper type 2 bias and type 17 suppression in primary dengue virus infection in infants and young children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The immune response to dengue virus (DENV) primary infection in infants and young children is not well characterized. In Northern Argentina, >90% of the population was DENV-naïve before the 2009 outbreak, allowing evaluation of age-dependent primary responses to infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a comparative study of the immune response to DENV in 27 infected infants, young children and their mothers. Lymphocyte T helper (Th) 1, Th2, Th17 and inflammatory responses were assayed in blood during the 2009 DENV-1 epidemic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The immune response to DENV-1 was significantly biased to Th2 in infected infants and young children, compared to infants with other febrile illnesses (for IL-4 p < 0.001) and to their infected mothers (for IL-4 p < 0.01). In addition, IL-17 suppression was observed in the memory response to DENV-1 in infected infants (p < 0.01 vs placebo).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age-related differences in the primary response to DENV, characterized by an immature Th2 polarization and Th17 suppression in infants, should be studied further in order to expand our understanding of the mechanism of dengue pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Fundacion INFANT, Gavilan 94, Buenos Aires 1406, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Talarico
authors.forename: Jimena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bugna
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wimmenauer
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: Marcelo O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Quipildor
authors.forename: Diego R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hijano
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beccaria
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wurster
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cavagnaro
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fattore
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Batalle
authors.forename: Patricio L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reynoso
authors.forename: Guillermina A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Melendi
authors.forename: Felix A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Libster
authors.forename: Fernando P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Polack
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003715:Dengue / Q000276:immunology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D020381:Interleukin-17
keywords: Dengue virus; Immune immaturity; Infant; Th2 polarization