Dengue affects many people in the world, specifically in less developed countries. Dengue can be mild, though there are those who are more severely affected by it than others. Researchers find that dengue infections can be life-threatening for some people.
Dengue is rarely deadly when people are first infected by it. However, a second infection can be deadly for some people. Researchers from the Rockefeller University are finding out why certain people could be at risk after a secondary Dengue attack.
Researchers have noted that there are people who develop more of a type of antibody which can have an aggressive response to Dengue. People who have only a mild Dengue infection did not develop the same type of antibody. This more severe form of infection can have people develop a hemorrhagic fever.
People with this severe form of Dengue attack might have signs of bleeding. Bleeding from the nose, gums and even under the skin can develop. Dr. Jeffrey V. Ravetch is the senior author of the study and the head of the Leonard Wagner Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology.
Through the study it has been shown that Y-shaped proteins can attach to infected cells. The stem of the protein is called the Fc region. This stem then attaches to immune cells. Immune cells could develop an inflammatory response, which then causes bleeding.
First author Taia Wang has observed that some of the Y-shaped proteins lack a certain sugar in the Fc region. This has been found in patients who have a more severe form of Dengue, according to The Rockefeller University's site. The activating signals from these proteins then made the disease more severe since it then destroys platelets. A low platelet count could lead to more bleeding then.
Knowing how this all works could help in fighting Dengue fever. The Dengue virus is in the same family as the Zika virus, so the study could also lead to better treatment for Zika, as Science Daily reports. Safer vaccines could be developed that would not trigger a more aggressive immune response.
Dengue fever can be deadly for those who get it the second time. Dengue infections can be life-threatening for some people. An earlier report also shows that the immune system is much weaker with less sleep.
