Emerging Infectious Diseases (Feb 2007)

Neutralizing Antibodies after Infection with Dengue 1 Virus

  • Gustavo Kourí,
  • Mayling Alvarez,
  • Rosmari Rodriguez-Roche,
  • Lídice Bernardo,
  • Tibaire Montes,
  • Susana Vazquez,
  • Luis Morier,
  • Angel Alvarez,
  • Ernest A Gould,
  • Maria G. Guzman,
  • Scott B Halstead

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1302.060539
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 2
pp. 282 – 282

Abstract

Read online

Severity of disease is markedly increased when infection with dengue virus type 2 (DENV-2) follows infection with DENV-1. Studies have shown that heterologous neutralizing antibody titers are inversely correlated with severity of a second infection. If this mechanism controlled disease severity in Cuba, heterotypic antibody titers should have declined over time. To determine whether phenotypic changes in dengue antibodies occur over time, we analyzed serum samples collected 4–8 and 20–22 years after DENV-1 infection. We found a significant increase in mean titer of homologous DENV-1 neutralizing antibodies and a significant decrease in heterologous antibodies to 1 of 2 genotypes of DENV-2 virus (the American genotype). Asian DENV-2 viruses were not neutralized during either interval; however, the American genotype underwent phenotypic changes in heterotypic viral neutralizing antibodies in the predicted direction. This finding may be related to the time-dependent changes in severity of disease found with secondary dengue infection.

Keywords