title: Zika virus and neurologic autoimmunity: the putative role of gangliosides.
abstract: An increasing number of severe neurological complications associated with Zika virus (ZIKV), chiefly Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and primary microcephaly, have led the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. Molecular mimicry between glycolipids and surface molecules of infectious agents explain most of the cases of GBS preceded by infection, while a direct toxicity of ZIKV on neural cells has been raised as the main mechanism by which ZIKV induces microcephaly. Gangliosides are crucial in brain development, and their expression correlates with neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission, and cell proliferation. Targeting the autoimmune response to gangliosides may represent an underexploited opportunity to examine the increased incidence of neurological complications related to ZIKV infection.
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia. anayajm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Juan-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anaya
authors.affiliation: Center for Autoimmune Diseases Research (CREA), Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Santana
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Central de la Policía, Bogota, Colombia.
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salgado-Castaneda
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Aftab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M Eric
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gershwin
mesh_terms: D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000821:virology*; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D000071244:Zika Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000071243:Zika Virus Infection / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides
keywords: Autoimmunity; Gangliosides; Guillain-Barré syndrome; Microcephaly; Zika virus