Role of Soluble Fas Ligand in Severity of Dengue Disease

Abstract

Dengue disease, which is caused by dengue virus infection, is a major public health in the tropical and subtropical countries in the world. It has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from an undifferentiated fever in a mild clinical form (dengue fever [DF]) to the severe clinical and potentially fatal dengue hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome (DHF/DSS). Recently, a study has suggested that excessive inflammation and apoptosis contribute to the pathogenesis of severe dengue disease. Soluble FasL is a type II membrane protein belonging to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, which induces apoptosis in Fas-bearing cells and neutrophil chemotactic functions. The apoptosis of microvascular endothelial cells may explain the plasma leakage mechanism in DHF and there was a significant increase in soluble Fas-ligand level in DHF patients compared to DF patients. It can be concluded that the soluble Fas ligand is related to the pathogenesis of dengue infection.