Innate immune response in patients with acute Zika virus infection

In this study, we evaluated the mRNA expression of innate immune receptors (TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5/MDA-5, and reti noic acid inducible gene/RIG-1), its adapter molecules (Myeloid Differentiation Primary Response Gene 88/Myd88,Toll/IL-1 Receptor Domain-Containing Adaptor-Inducing IFN- β/TRIF), and cytokines (IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-γ) in the acute phase of patients infected by ZIKV using real-time PCR in peripheral blood. Patients with acute ZIKV infection had high expression of TLR3, IFN-α, IFN-β, and IFN-γ when compared to healthy controls. In addition , there was a positive correlation between TLR3 expression compared to IFN-α and IFN-β. Moreover, viral load is positively correlated with TLR8, RIG-1, MDA-5, IFN-α, and IFN-β. On the other hand, patients infected by ZIKV showed reduced expression of RIG-1, TLR8, Myd88, and TNF-α molecules, whi ch are also involved in antiviral immunity. Similar expressions of TLR7, TLR9, MDA-5, TRIF, IL-6, and IL-12 were observed between the group of patients infected with ZIKV and control subjects. Our results indicate that acute infection (up to 5 days after the onset of symptoms) by ZIKV in patients i nduces the high mRNA expression of TLR3 correlated to high expression of IFN-γ, IFN-α, and IFN-β, even though the high viral load is correlated to high expression of TLR8, RIG-1, MDA-5, IFN-α, and IFN-β in ZIKV patients.
Source: Medical Microbiology and Immunology - Category: Microbiology Source Type: research