Dengue virus replication by platelets

Dengue virus (DENV) causes >100 million febrile infections annually. In ~2 million of these individuals, the disease may progress into life‐threatening haemorrhagic fever or shock syndrome. Approximately 200 million high‐titre infections remain asymptomatic and are a documented risk for transfusion transmission. Interestingly, both mild and severe DENV infections result in thrombocytopenia. Well‐established DENV receptors studies have suggested that similar receptors on platelets may facilitate comparable binding. To help explain DENV‐mediated platelet pathology, indirect evidence for a DENV‐platelet interaction with possible cell entry and direct binding has been reported. Increasing evidence has established that platelets contain the necessary translational machinery to generate protein from RNA. Since DENV has an RNA genome, we hypothesized that platelets are permissive to DENV replication. Using highly purified DENV and platelets, a specific dendritic cell‐specific intercellular adhesin molecule‐3‐grabbing non‐integrin/heparan proteoglycan coreceptor binding system was identified. Demonstrating de novo virus protein and genome generation and production of infectious progeny by viable platelets now adds to the understanding of DENV‐associated thrombocytopenia. Of importance to global blood systems, donor‐derived platelet concentrates (PCs) and red‐blood‐cells units (RBCs) also replicated viral RNA. In each case, DENV underwent spontaneous logar...
Source: ISBT Science Series - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: Congress Review Source Type: research