Role of CD61+ cells in thrombocytopenia of dengue patients

• Published in: International journal of hematology Vol. 96; no. 5; pp. 600 - 610
• Main Authors: Noisakran, Sansanee, Onlamoon, Nattawat, Pattanapanyasat, Kovit, Hsiao, Hui-Mien, Songprakhon, Pucharee, Angkasekwinai, Nasikarn, Chokephaibulkit, Kulkanya, Villinger, Francois, Ansari, Aftab A., Perng, Guey Chuen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Japan 01.11.2012; Springer
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Animals; Antigens, Viral - blood; Arboviroses; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Blood Platelets - virology; Dengue - blood; Dengue - complications; Dengue fevers; Dengue Virus - metabolism; Female; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hematology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Integrin beta3 - blood; Macaca mulatta; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Megakaryocytes - metabolism; Megakaryocytes - virology; Oncology; Original Article; Platelet diseases and coagulopathies; Prospective Studies; RNA, Viral - blood; Thrombocytopenia - blood; Thrombocytopenia - etiology; Thrombocytopenia - virology; Tropical viral diseases; Viral diseases; Thrombocytopenia; DF; DHF; Viremia; Dengue; Megakaryocytes; Fever; Human; Hematology; Megakaryocyte; Hemopathy; Infection; Platelet; Viral disease; Arbovirus disease
• ISSN: 0925-5710; 1865-3774
• DOI: 10.1007/s12185-012-1175-x

Although hematological disorders with salient features of thrombocytopenia have been well documented in dengue patients, the role of CD61-expressing platelets and the megakaryocytic cell lineage in the pathogenesis of dengue virus (DENV) infection remains largely unexplored. A prospective observational study was performed using blood samples and PBMCs from dengue-confirmed patients, as well as from rhesus monkeys (RM) experimentally infected with DENV. Immunohistochemical staining and FACS techniques were applied to evaluate the frequencies of CD61 + cells that contained DENV antigen. Highly enriched population of CD61 + cells was also isolated from acute DENV-infected RM and assayed for DENV RNA by quantitative RT-PCR. Results revealed that DENV antigen was found in small vesicles of varying size, and more frequently in anucleated cells associated with platelets in dengue patients. The DENV antigen-containing cells were CD61 + and appeared to share characteristics of megakaryocytes. Kinetic profiles of CD61 + cells from DENV-infected RM revealed a transient increase in CD61 + CD62P + cells early after DENV infection. DENV RNA in a highly enriched population of CD61 + cells from the infected RM was observed during acute stage. Our results indicate that virus containing CD61 + cells may be directly linked to the platelet dysfunction and low platelet count characteristics of dengue patients.