Comparative evaluation of genetic polymorphisms of cytokines and other factors involved in the immune response of different clinical manifestations of dengue

• Grant number: 12/25391-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Benedito Antônio Lopes da Fonseca
• Grantee: Fernanda Miquelitto Figueira da Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dengue results from the infection by any of the dengue viruses (DENV), and isconsidered the main arboviraldisease worldwide and extremely important to Brazil. Dengue hasa wide variety of clinical symptoms, from asymptomatic infections to severe forms named dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). The pathogenesis of dengue infections, particularly of severe forms, is complex, and the immune response is involved not onlyin protection but also in the development of severe forms. It is of utmost importance to understand the molecular and immunological basis of dengue pathogenesis to improve treatment and prevention of this disease. This project aimsto correlate the different clinical presentations of the disease with viral load, neutralizing antibody titers, presence of antibody-mediated enhancement of the disease (ADE) and polymorphisms of cytokines and cell receptors, assessing the relative importance of each of these factors in the development of the severe disease. We will also evaluate these parameters in the sera and cells of patients with classic dengue, dengue with complications, dengue hemorrhagic fever and asymptomatic infection. We expect this project to contribute to a better understanding of the host response triggered by virus infection, which will help in the development of vaccines and treatments of dengue.