Dengue Virus Induces NK Cell Activation through TRAIL Expression during Infection

Figure 2

NK cell activation profile in dengue-infected patients’ samples. Patients’ PBMCs collected during disease acute phase or healthy donors PBMCs were thawed and immediately phenotyped by CD3/CD56/CD16/TRAIL or TLR3/CD107a cell surface density analysis by flow cytometry. IL12 levels were detected in plasma samples by ELISA. Analyzed cells (a) were gated on CD3− cells and then TRAIL-positive cells or TRAIL MFI (b) and CD107a median (c) were analyzed on CD3−CD56+CD16+ NK cells. TLR3-positive cells (d) were detected in all CD56+ cells. IL12 levels (e) were detected at acute phase samples or healthy control samples. Subjects were grouped into healthy donors (HD) or patients with dengue fever without warning signs (DF), dengue fever with warning signs (DFWS), or severe dengue (SD). Values were submitted to Mann–Whitney statistical test (for comparison between two groups in which , and ) and one- way analysis of variance for linear tendency between group severity and analyzed parameters.

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