Conclusion
Taken together, these results evidenced key factors that may be involved in the development of severe alterations in liver tissues of children in response to DENV infection.
Methods
Hematoxylin and Eosin, Periodic Acid Schiff and Picro Sirius Red staining were utilized for the histopathological analysis. Immunohistochemistry assay was performed to characterize the inflammatory response and cell expression patterns.
Objective
In this context, we investigated and characterized the histopathological features as well as the cytokine profile and cell subpopulations present in liver tissues from three fatal cases of DENV in children.
Results
Vascular dysfunctions such as hemorrhage, vascular congestion and edema associated with a mononuclear infiltrate were observedin all three cases. Liver tissues exhibited increased presence of CD68+ and TCD8+ cells as well as high expression of MMP-9, TNF-a, RANTES, VEGFR-2 mediators. Viral replication was confirmed by the detection of NS3 protein.