PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (May 2018)

Viral immunogenicity determines epidemiological fitness in a cohort of DENV-1 infection in Brazil.

  • Tauyne Menegaldo Pinheiro,
  • Mânlio Tasso de Oliveira Mota,
  • Aripuanã Sakurada Aranha Watanabe,
  • Joice Matos Biselli-Périco,
  • Betânia Paiva Drumond,
  • Milene Rocha Ribeiro,
  • Danila Vedovello,
  • João Pessoa Araújo,
  • Paulo Filemon Paolucci Pimenta,
  • Bárbara Aparecida Chaves,
  • Mayara Marques Carneiro da Silva,
  • Izabella Cristina Andrade Batista,
  • Michelle Premazzi Papa,
  • Lana Monteiro Meuren,
  • Carolina Gonçalves de Oliveira Lucas,
  • Flavio Lemos Matassoli,
  • Laura Helena Vega Gonzales Gil,
  • Adriana Bozzi,
  • Carlos Eduardo Calzavara-Silva,
  • Luciana Barros de Arruda,
  • Danielle da Glória de Souza,
  • Mauro Martins Teixeira,
  • Nikos Vasilakis,
  • Maurício Lacerda Nogueira

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006525
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 5
p. e0006525

Abstract

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The dynamics of dengue virus (DENV) circulation depends on serotype, genotype and lineage replacement and turnover. In São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, we observed that the L6 lineage of DENV-1 (genotype V) remained the dominant circulating lineage even after the introduction of the L1 lineage. We investigated viral fitness and immunogenicity of the L1 and L6 lineages and which factors interfered with the dynamics of DENV epidemics. The results showed a more efficient replicative fitness of L1 over L6 in mosquitoes and in human and non-human primate cell lines. Infections by the L6 lineage were associated with reduced antigenicity, weak B and T cell stimulation and weak host immune system interactions, which were associated with higher viremia. Our data, therefore, demonstrate that reduced viral immunogenicity and consequent greater viremia determined the increased epidemiological fitness of DENV-1 L6 lineage in São José do Rio Preto.