Molecular and Cellular Basis of Severe Forms of Dengue in Sickle Cell Patients

Overview

Dengue virus (DENV) belongs to the genus of Flavivirus transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti and is responsible for an infectious disease associated with different forms and severities such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or shock syndrome. Several recent reports have shown that sickle cell patients exhibited an increased risk of developing severe forms of dengue episodes compared to non-sickle cell subjects. Furthermore, among major sickle cell syndromes, these studies suggest that SC patients are at the highest risk of death during these infectious episodes although this sickle cell syndrome is generally associated with a more moderate expression of sickle cell disease. However, the mechanisms involved remain unknown to date. The aim of the present study is to identify the molecular and cellular basis of this increased severity of dengue in SC patients. We hypothesize an exacerbation during DENV infection of the inflammatory response in SC patients compared to SS patients.

More precisely, the objective is to determine and compare the different cellular and molecular inflammatory mediators between SS and SC patients at baseline, and to study DENV-induced activation of various blood figurative elements isolated from uninfected sickle cell patients in vitro. Given the essential role of immune cells in the DENV cycle and in the innate and adaptive immune responses of the host, understanding the changes induced by viral infection in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) and Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells (MDDC) remains a priority. The effect of DENV or DENV-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) will therefore be studied in vitro on purified cells from SC and SS patients. The impact of MicroParticles (MPs), known to be involved in the pathogenesis of severe dengue forms and in sickle cell disease, will also be evaluated on two cell types: endothelial cells and neutrophils, the latter exhibiting exacerbated activation and production of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs). Considering the influence of mosquito saliva components on the pathogenesis of arboviruses (including DENV) in vertebrate hosts through the amplification of inflammatory responses, a comparative analysis of cellular and molecular inflammatory mediators released following exposure of blood cells from SS and SC patients to DENV and Aedes aegypti saliva will be conducted in vitro. Lastly, the differential blood profiles of SS and SC patients will be assessed for their impact on the vector competence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in transmitting DENV.