T helper type 2 bias and type 17 suppression in primary dengue virus infection in infants and young children

Background: The immune response to dengue virus (DENV) primary infection in infants and young children is not well characterized. In Northern Argentina, .90% of the population was DENV-naı¨ve before the 2009 outbreak, allowing evaluation of age-dependent primary responses to infection. Methods: We conducted a comparative study of the immune response to DENV in 27 infected infants, young children and their mothers. Lymphocyte T helper (Th) 1, Th2, Th17 and inflammatory responses were assayed in blood during the 2009 DENV-1 epidemic. Results: The immune response to DENV-1 was significantly biased to Th2 in infected infants and young children, compared to infants with other febrile illnesses (for IL-4 p,0.001) and to their infected mothers (for IL-4 p,0.01). In addition, IL-17 suppression was observed in the memory response to DENV-1 in infected infants (p,0.01 vs placebo). Conclusion: Age-related differences in the primary response to DENV, characterized by an immature Th2 polarization and Th17 suppression in infants, should be studied further in order to expand our understanding of the mechanism of dengue pathogenesis.Fil: Talarico, Laura Beatriz. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bugna Hortoneda, Jimena. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Wimmenauer, Vera. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Espinoza, Marco A.. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Quipildor, Marcelo O.. Hospital San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Hijano, Diego R.. Vanderbilt University. Department of Pediatrics; Estados Unidos. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Beccaria, Martín. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Wurster, Victoria. Vanderbilt University. Department of Pediatrics; Estados Unidos. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Cavagnaro, Luis E.. Hospital SAMIC Iguazu; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Daniel. Hospital SAMIC Iguazu; ArgentinaFil: Fattore, Gladys. Fundación Mundo Sano; ArgentinaFil: Batalle, Juan Pio. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Patricio Leandro. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Reynoso, Natalia. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Melendi, Guillermina Amanda. Vanderbilt University. Department of Pediatrics; Estados Unidos. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; ArgentinaFil: Rey, Felix A.. Institut Pasteur. Département de Virologie. Unité de Virologie Structurale; FranciaFil: Libster, Romina Paula. Vanderbilt University. Department of Pediatrics; Estados Unidos. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Polack, Fernando Pedro. Vanderbilt University. Department of Pediatrics; Estados Unidos. Fundación para la Investigación en Infectologia Infantil; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin