Pro-Inflammatory Profile of Children Exposed to Maternal Chikungunya Virus Infection during the Intrauterine Period: A One-Year Follow-Up Study
Renan Faustino,
Fabiana Rabe Carvalho,
Thalia Medeiros,
Débora Familiar-Macedo,
Renata Artimos de Oliveira Vianna,
Paulo Emílio Côrrea Leite,
Isabela Resende Pereira,
Claudete Aparecida Araújo Cardoso,
Elzinandes Leal De Azeredo,
Andrea Alice Silva
Affiliations
Renan Faustino
Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences (LAMAP), Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi 24033-900, Brazil
Fabiana Rabe Carvalho
Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences (LAMAP), Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi 24033-900, Brazil
Thalia Medeiros
Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences (LAMAP), Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi 24033-900, Brazil
Débora Familiar-Macedo
Viral Immunology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
Renata Artimos de Oliveira Vianna
Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences (LAMAP), Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi 24033-900, Brazil
Paulo Emílio Côrrea Leite
Clinical Research Unit (UPC), Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24033-900, Brazil
Isabela Resende Pereira
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24033-900, Brazil
Claudete Aparecida Araújo Cardoso
Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences (LAMAP), Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi 24033-900, Brazil
Elzinandes Leal De Azeredo
Viral Immunology Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
Andrea Alice Silva
Multiuser Laboratory for Research Support in Nephrology and Medical Sciences (LAMAP), Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi 24033-900, Brazil
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) vertical transmission occurs due to maternal viremia in the prepartum. Clinical presentation in neonates can be varied; however, the consequences of intrauterine exposure on the immune response are unclear. Thus, we aimed to analyze inflammatory alterations in children exposed to maternal CHIKV infection. This is a cross-sectional study that included children exposed to maternal CHIKV infection (confirmed by RT-qPCR and/or IgM). Circulant immune mediators were analyzed by a multiplex assay. RESULTS: We included 33 children, with a mean age of 3 ± 2.9 months-old, and 19 (57.6%) were male. Only one child presented neurological alterations. CHIKV-exposed infants showed elevated levels of MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and CCL-2 (p p p < 0.0001). Principal component (PC) analysis highlighted a distinction in the inflammatory profile between groups, where PC explained 56.6% of the alterations. Our findings suggest that maternal exposure to CHIKV can affect the circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines during the infants’ first year of life. The long-term clinical consequences of these findings should be investigated.
