Influence of chemokines on the endothelial permeability and cellular transmigration during dengue

During a pathogenic infection, an inflammatory process is triggered in which several inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, complement system components, nitric oxide, and others induce integrity alteration on the endothelial barrier. Chemokines are responsible for regulating leukocyte trafficking under homeostatic conditions as well as activating immune system cells under inflammatory conditions. They are crucial molecules in the early stages of infection, leading to the recruitment of immune cells, namely neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, natural killer T cells (NKT), dendritic cells (DC), T lymphocytes and all cells expressing chemokine receptors for inflammatory sites. Other functions, such as collagen production, tissue repair, a proliferation of hematopoietic precursors and angiogenesis, are also performed by these molecules. Chemokines, amongst inflammatory mediators, play a key role in dengue immunopathogenesis. Dengue fever is a disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV). It is characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic cases to mild and severe symptomatic ones. As for the latter, the appearance of hemorrhagic manifestations and changes in vascular permeability may lead the patient to develop cavitary effusions, organ involvement, and even death. As chemokines exert an influence on various homeostatic and inflammatory processes, acting vigorously on vascular endothelial activation and cell migration, the main purpose of this chapter is to discuss the influence of chemokines on the alteration of endothelial permeability and migration of T lymphocytes in DENV infection.

Following in the Footsteps of the Chikungunya Virus in Brazil: The First Autochthonous Cases in Amapá in 2014 and Its Emergence in Rio de Janeiro during 2016

Currently, Brazil lives a triple arboviruses epidemic (DENV, ZIKV and CHIKV) making the differential diagnosis difficult for health professionals. Here, we aimed to investigate chikungunya cases and the possible occurrence of co-infections during the epidemic in Amapá (AP) that started in 2014 when the first autochthonous cases were reported and in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) in 2016. We further performed molecular characterization and genotyping of representative strains. In AP, 51.4% of the suspected cases were confirmed for CHIKV, 71.0% (76/107). Of those, 24 co-infections by CHIKV/DENV, two by CHIKV/DENV-1, and two by CHIKV/DENV-4 were observed. In RJ, 76.9% of the suspected cases were confirmed for CHIKV and co-infections by CHIKV/DENV (n = 8) and by CHIKV/ZIKV (n = 17) were observed. Overall, fever, arthralgia, myalgia, prostration, edema, exanthema, conjunctival hyperemia, lower back pain, dizziness, nausea, retroorbital pain, and anorexia were the predominating chikungunya clinical symptoms described. All strains analyzed from AP belonged to the Asian genotype and no amino acid changes were observed. In RJ, the East-Central-South-African genotype (ECSA) circulation was demonstrated and no E1-A226V mutation was observed. Despite this, an E1-V156A substitution was characterized in two samples and for the first time, the E1-K211T mutation was reported in all samples analyzed.

CD8+ T-cells expressing interferon gamma or perforin play antagonistic roles in heart injury in experimental Trypanosoma cruzi-elicited cardiomyopathy

In Chagas disease, CD8(+) T-cells are critical for the control of Trypanosoma cruzi during acute infection. Conversely, CD8(+) T-cell accumulation in the myocardium during chronic infection may cause tissue injury leading to chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). Here we explored the role of CD8(+) T-cells in T. cruzi-elicited heart injury in C57BL/6 mice infected with the Colombian strain. Cardiomyocyte lesion evaluated by creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme activity levels in the serum and electrical abnormalities revealed by electrocardiogram were not associated with the intensity of heart parasitism and myocarditis in the chronic infection. Further, there was no association between heart injury and systemic anti-T. cruzi CD8(+) T-cell capacity to produce interferon-gamma (IFNγ) and to perform specific cytotoxicity. Heart injury, however, paralleled accumulation of anti-T. cruzi cells in the cardiac tissue. In T. cruzi infection, most of the CD8(+) T-cells segregated into IFNγ(+) perforin (Pfn)(neg) or IFNγ(neg)Pfn(+) cell populations. Colonization of the cardiac tissue by anti-T. cruzi CD8(+)Pfn(+) cells paralleled the worsening of CCC. The adoptive cell transfer to T. cruzi-infected cd8(-/-) recipients showed that the CD8(+) cells from infected ifnγ(-/-)pfn(+/+) donors migrate towards the cardiac tissue to a greater extent and caused a more severe cardiomyocyte lesion than CD8(+) cells from ifnγ(+/+)pfn(-/-) donors. Moreover, the reconstitution of naïve cd8(-/-) mice with CD8(+) cells from naïve ifnγ(+/+)pfn(-/-) donors ameliorated T. cruzi-elicited heart injury paralleled IFNγ(+) cells accumulation, whereas reconstitution with CD8(+) cells from naïve ifnγ(-/-)pfn(+/+) donors led to an aggravation of the cardiomyocyte lesion, which was associated with the accumulation of Pfn(+) cells in the cardiac tissue. Our data support a possible antagonist effect of CD8(+)Pfn(+) and CD8(+)IFNγ(+) cells during CCC. CD8(+)IFNγ(+) cells may exert a beneficial role, whereas CD8(+)Pfn(+) may play a detrimental role in T. cruzi-elicited heart injury.