Dynamics of the immune response in dengue virus infection

Dengue virus infection has noticeably increased in recent decades. Vaccines development constitutes an essential strategy in the disease control. The immune system, however, plays an essential role in the appearance of severe forms, reason which provides a great importance to understanding the disease immuno-pathogenesis; this review contributes to this purpose. It is explained how the virus enters host cells mediated by receptors related to the immune system. The presence of non-neutralizing heterologous antibodies amplifies the viral infection. During the immune response, inflammatory cytokines are produced, which, together with the action of heterologous antibodies, the complement system and the action of cell populations, induce endothelial damage and the characteristic coagulation disorders of this disease. Finally, based on the warning signs associated with severe forms, the WHO issued a new classification which guides towards an opportune diagnosis.