Abstract
Dengue fever is an infection by the dengue virus (DENV) transmitted by vector mosquitoes. It causes many infections in tropical and subtropical countries every year, thus posing a severe disease threat. Cytokine storms, one condition where many proinflammatory cytokines are mass-produced, might lead to cellular dysfunction in tissue/organ failures and often facilitate severe dengue disease in patients. Interleukin- (IL-) 18, similar to IL-1β, is a proinflammatory cytokine produced during inflammation following inflammasome activation. Inflammatory stimuli, including microbial infections, damage signals, and cytokines, all induce the production of IL-18. High serum IL-18 is remarkably correlated with severely ill dengue patients; however, its possible roles have been less explored. Based on the clinical and basic findings, this review discusses the potential immunopathogenic role of IL-18 when it participates in DENV infection and dengue disease progression based on existing findings and related past studies.