Dengue Virus Directly Stimulates Polyclonal B Cell Activation

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 10;10(12):e0143391. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143391. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Dengue infection is associated to vigorous inflammatory response, to a high frequency of activated B cells, and to increased levels of circulating cross-reactive antibodies. We investigated whether direct infection of B cells would promote activation by culturing primary human B lymphocytes from healthy donors with DENV in vitro. B cells were susceptible, but poorly permissive to infection. Even though, primary B cells cultured with DENV induced substantial IgM secretion, which is a hallmark of polyclonal B cell activation. Notably, DENV induced the activation of B cells obtained from either DENV immune or DENV naïve donors, suggesting that it was not dependent on DENV-specific secondary/memory response. B cell stimulation was dependent on activation of MAPK and CD81. B cells cultured with DENV also secreted IL-6 and presented increased expression of CD86 and HLA-DR, which might contribute to B lymphocyte co-stimulatory function. Indeed, PBMCs, but not isolated B cells, secreted high amounts of IgG upon DENV culture, suggesting that interaction with other cell types in vivo might promote Ig isotype switching and IgG secretion from different B cell clones. These findings suggest that activation signaling pathways triggered by DENV interaction with non-specific receptors on B cells might contribute to the exacerbated response observed in dengue patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / cytology
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / analysis
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • B7-2 Antigen / metabolism
  • Cell Line
  • Dengue / immunology*
  • Dengue / pathology
  • Dengue / virology
  • Dengue Virus / genetics
  • Dengue Virus / pathogenicity*
  • HLA-DR Antigens / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
  • Immunoglobulin M / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Lymphocyte Activation
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • RNA, Viral / analysis
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tetraspanin 28 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • B7-2 Antigen
  • HLA-DR Antigens
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Interleukin-6
  • RNA, Viral
  • Tetraspanin 28
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Brazilian Ministry of Health, CAPES, CNPq, FAPERJ, and by the programs INCT-Dengue and Pronex-Rede Dengue. A. C. E. R. Berbel was the recipient of a CAPES fellowship, A. R. V. Correa was the recipient of a FAPERJ and CAPES fellowship. A. T. S. Morais and M. P. Papa were the recipients of a CNPq fellowship. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.