Research article

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in monocytes during acute Dengue Fever in patients and during in vitro infection

Patrícia CF Neves-Souza^{* 1} , Elzinandes L Azeredo^{* 1} , Sonia MO Zagne² , Rogério Valls-de-Souza³ , Sonia RNI Reis¹ , Denise IS Cerqueira¹ , Rita MR Nogueira¹ and Claire F Kubelka¹

¹Departmento de Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, CEP 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

²Departamento de Clínica Médica, Hospital Antonio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

³Instituto de Pesquisas Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, CEP 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

BMC Infectious Diseases 2005, 5:64doi:10.1186/1471-2334-5-64

Published:	18 August 2005

Abstract

Mononuclear phagocytes are considered to be main targets for Dengue Virus (DENV) replication. These cells are activated after infection, producing proinflammatory mediators, including tumour-necrosis factor-α, which has also been detected in vivo. Nitric oxide (NO), usually produced by activated mononuclear phagocytes, has antimicrobial and antiviral activities.

The expression of DENV antigens and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in human blood isolated monocytes were analysed by flow cytometry using cells either from patients with acute Dengue Fever or after DENV-1 in vitro infection. DENV-1 susceptibility to iNOS inhibition and NO production was investigated using N^G-methyl L-Arginine (N^GMLA) as an iNOS inhibitor, which was added to DENV-1 infected human monocytes, and sodium nitroprussiate (SNP), a NO donor, added to infected C6/36 mosquito cell clone. Viral antigens after treatments were detected by flow cytometry analysis.

INOS expression in activated monocytes was observed in 10 out of 21 patients with Dengue Fever and was absent in cells from ten healthy individuals. DENV antigens detected in 25 out of 35 patients, were observed early during in vitro infection (3 days), significantly diminished with time, indicating that virus replicated, however monocytes controlled the infection. On the other hand, the iNOS expression was detected at increasing frequency in in vitro infected monocytes from three to six days, exhibiting an inverse relationship to DENV antigen expression. We demonstrated that the detection of the DENV-1 antigen was enhanced during monocyte treatment with N^GMLA. In the mosquito cell line C6/36, virus detection was significantly reduced in the presence of SNP, when compared to that of untreated cells.

This study is the first to reveal the activation of DENV infected monocytes based on induction of iNOS both in vivo and in vitro, as well as the susceptibility of DENV-1 to a NO production.