Observational study uncovers progressive CD8+ T cell expansion and effector memory activation in dengue fever patients, indicating robust cellular immunity during early infection.
Key Points
To evaluate the kinetics of CD8+ T lymphocyte expansion, proliferation, and activation during the first six days of symptomatic DENV2 infection.
Assessed CD8+ T cell proportions using flow cytometry in 74 patients with dengue fever during a 2010 DENV2 outbreak in São Paulo State, Brazil.
Performed extended immunophenotyping on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 30 patients across early disease presentation.
CD8+ T cell percentages increased progressively over the disease course and correlated with elevated Ki67 proliferation marker expression.
CD8+ T lymphocyte activation, measured by CD38 and HLA-DR upregulation, appeared later during infection across all memory subsets, peaking in the effector memory subset characterized by elevated CD38.