Selective Susceptibility of Human Skin Antigen Presenting Cells to Productive Dengue Virus Infection

Cerny D, Haniffa M, Shin A, Bigliardi P, Tan BK, et al.

 PLoS Pathog. December 2014 10(12): e1004548

Speaker: Andy D. Y. Hu (胡敦堯)                                 Time: 15:10~16:00, March 25, 2014

Commentator: Dr. Ching-Chuan Liu (劉清泉 醫師)          Place: Room 601

Abstract:

    Dengue is the most important vector-borne human viral disease globally. The disease is induced by the bites of Aedes spp. mosquito carrying infectious dengue virus (DENV), thus cells within the skin of host are the first point of contact with the virus.  Since studies have showed that human skin contains different subsets of immune cells [1], the authors of this study therefore hypothesize that DENV can infect target cell in human skin and initial immune responses. Skin from normal human donors were infected with DENV. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) were found as the main target of DENV, but only distinct subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophage can be infected. Langerhans cells, a specialized type of dendritic cell [2], were most susceptible to infection. Blockage of DC-SIGN, a previously described DENV receptor [3], did not correlate with infection of DENV. Genes of interferon pathway were highly up-regulated in the infected DC subsets such as IFN-β and STAT-1 and also CCL5, a chemokine that can attract immune cells to the sites of inflammation. The authors also used a mouse infection model to show that murine dermal DCs were also susceptible to DENV infection and can migrate to skin-draining lymph nodes from the dermis. Taken these data together, the author demonstrated that APCs from human skin can be infected and activated, thus contribute to inflammation and adaptive anti-viral immune responses.

 Reference

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