Primary dengue virus infections induce differential cytokine production in Mexican patients

Severe dengue pathogenesis is not fully understood, but high levels of proinflammatory cytokines have been associated with dengue disease severity. In this study, the cytokine levels in 171 sera from Mexican patients with primary dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) from dengue virus (DENV) 1 (n = 116) or 2 (n = 55) were compared. DF and DHF were defined according to the patient’s clinical condition, the primary infections as indicated by IgG enzymatic immunoassay negative results, and the infecting serotype as assessed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Samples were analysed for circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-12p70, interferon (IFN)-γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, and IL-8 using a commercial cytometric bead array. Significantly higher IFN-γ levels were found in patients with DHF than those with DF. However, significantly higher IL-12p70, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were associated with DHF only in patients who were infected with DENV2 but not with DENV1. Moreover, patients with DF who were infected with DENV1 showed higher levels of IL-12p70, TNF-α, and IL-6 than patients with DHF early after-fever onset. The IL-8 levels were similar in all cases regardless of the clinical condition or infection serotype. These results suggest that the association between high proinflammatory cytokine levels and dengue disease severity does not always stand, and it once again highlights the complex nature of DHF pathogenesis.

Nuclear proteins bind to poliovirus 5' untranslate region

Poliovirus induces a shut-off of cellular messenger RNA (MRNA) translation by the proteolysis of a 220 kDa protein from the eukaryotic initiation factor eIF-4F, and by the phosphorylation of eIF-2. The absence of eIF-4F inhibiths the initiation of translation dependent on capa structure recognition. Poliovirus RNA lacks cap structure and translates by a cap-independent mechanism which requires internal ribosomal entry. The poliovirus 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) contains the structural elements for cap-independent translation called internal ribosomal entry site (IRES element). Several cellular proteins have been described interacting with different segments from poliovirus 5'UTR. We have studied the specific interaction between 57/60, 52, and 35 kDa cellular proteins with poliovirus nt 275 to 636 and full length 5'UTR. By Western blot assay the 57/60 protein was identified as a pyramidine tract binding protein PTB are nuclear proteins involved in RNA polymerase III transcription termination an splicing, respectively