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A Murine Model of Dengue Virus-induced Acute Viral Encephalitis-like Disease
04:23

A Murine Model of Dengue Virus-induced Acute Viral Encephalitis-like Disease

Published on: April 28, 2019

Neurologic dengue manifestations associated with intrathecal specific immune response

M Puccioni-Sohler1, C N Soares, R Papaiz-Alvarenga

  • 1CSF Laboratory, Serviço de Patologia Clínica, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. mpuccioni@hucff.ufrj.br

Neurology
|October 28, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Neurologic involvement in dengue infection can lead to specific antibody production in the central nervous system (CNS). Intrathecal antibody synthesis is a potential marker for dengue-associated myelitis, suggesting direct viral invasion.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Dengue virus, a flavivirus with four serotypes, can cause nervous system involvement in 4-5% of infections.
  • Serotypes 2 and 3 are most frequently associated with neurologic complications.
  • Mechanisms include direct viral infection or postinfectious autoimmune responses.

Observation:

  • This study investigated specific antibody production in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with dengue-related neurologic manifestations.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum from 10 patients with myelitis, encephalitis, or Guillain-Barré syndrome were analyzed for dengue-specific IgM and IgG antibodies.
  • Intrathecal synthesis of IgG antibodies was assessed using the specific antibody index.

Findings:

  • All patients exhibited dengue virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies in their serum.
  • Dengue virus-specific IgM and IgG antibodies were detected in the CSF of 7 and 9 patients, respectively.
  • Crucially, intrathecal synthesis of specific IgG antibodies was observed exclusively in the 3 patients diagnosed with myelitis.

Implications:

  • Intrathecal antibody synthesis indicates a localized immune response within the CNS against dengue virus.
  • This finding suggests that intrathecal antibody synthesis can serve as a valuable biomarker for diagnosing dengue-associated myelitis.
  • The results point towards direct viral invasion of the spinal cord as a likely mechanism in the pathogenesis of dengue-related myelitis.

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