Increased serum levels of galectin-9 in patients with chikungunya fever.

INCREASED SERUM LEVELS OF GALECTIN-9 IN PATIENTS WITH CHIKUNGUNYA FEVER. Virus Res. 2020 Jun 18;:198062 Authors: Cavalcanti NG, Vilar KM, Pinto Duarte ALB, de Melo Rêgo MJB, Pereira MC, da Rocha Pitta I, Lopes Marques CD, da Rocha Pitta MG Abstract Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) is an arboviral disease that has caused an epidemic burst of chronic inflammatory joint disease in Latin America in the last few years. Efforts are being spent in understanding the mechanisms by which it may cause such articular damage and in determining possible biomarkers of the disease. Galectins (GAL) are a family of animal lectins with an affinity for beta-galactosides. They have multiple functions including working as receptors in innate immunity and as a control for inflammatory responses in both innate and adaptive immunity. They regulate functions of immune cells, such as lymphocytes and macrophages, which have a main role in the chikungunya inflammatory process. Galectins are also involved in chronification of viral diseases, participate in the immunopathogenesis of chronic joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and have a role in inflammation in other arboviral diseases, such as dengue. Thus, we intended to determine the serum levels of galectin-1, -3, -4, -7, and -9 in patients with subacute and chronic articular manifestations of CHIKF and to evaluate their associations with clinical manifestations. We evaluated 44 patients with clinical manife...
Source: Virus Research - Category: Virology Authors: Tags: Virus Res Source Type: research