Maternal immunity and antibodies to dengue virus promote infection and Zika virus-induced microcephaly in fetuses.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Zika virus (ZIKV), an emergent flaviviral pathogen, has been linked to microcephaly in neonates. Although the risk is greatest during the first trimester of pregnancy in humans, timing alone cannot explain why maternal ZIKV infection leads to severe microcephaly in some fetuses, but not others. The antigenic similarities between ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV), combined with high levels of DENV immunity among ZIKV target populations in recent outbreaks, suggest that anti-DENV maternal antibodies could promote ZIKV-induced microcephaly. We demonstrated maternal-to-fetal ZIKV transmission, fetal infection, and disproportionate microcephaly in immunocompetent mice. We show that DENV-specific antibodies in ZIKV-infected pregnant mice enhance vertical ZIKV transmission and result in a severe microcephaly-like syndrome, which was dependent on the neonatal Fc receptor, FcRN. This novel immune-mediated mechanism of vertical transmission of viral infection is of special concern because ZIKV epidemic regions are also endemic to DENV.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Rathore, APS; Saron, WAA; Lim, T; Jahan, N; St John, AL
Published Date
- February 2019
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 5 / 2
Start / End Page
- eaav3208 -
PubMed ID
- 30820456
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC6392794
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 2375-2548
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1126/sciadv.aav3208
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States