Cohort study shows dyslipidemia enhances dengue virus binding affinity in monocytes, suggesting therapeutic approaches could reduce infection risk.
Description Dyslipidemia, characterized by abnormal lipid or lipoprotein levels in the bloodstream, is a known contributor to atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies suggested that dyslipidemia may also play a significant role in infectious diseases such as dengue virus (DENV) infection. This study investigates the mechanism using an ex vivo infection model with patient samples. A cohort study was conducted to collect whole blood (WB) samples from individuals with dyslipidemia (low-density lipoprotein>100) and healthy controls. Fluorescent-labeled DENV was incubated with both dyslipidemic and healthy WB samples. Preliminary findings revealed that DENV binding affinity was significantly higher in dyslipidemic WB after two hours of incubation. Flow cytometry analysis identified monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) as the primary targets for DENV binding. Further experiments using the monocytic cell line THP-1 treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) demonstrated an increased binding of DENV. Fluorescent staining revealed variable expressions of 10 different DENV entry receptors on THP-1 cells. Future work will focus on identifying key entry receptors for DENV binding in vitro and ex vivo. Blocking these receptors may offer a promising strategy to inhibit DENV binding, particularly in monocytes, potentially paving the way for novel therapeutic approaches. Funding Sources NSTC113-2320-B-038-027 Topic Categories Viral Immunology (VIR)
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Jhan et al. (2025) studied this question.
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