Human antibody responses after dengue virus infection are highly cross-reactive to Zika virus

TLDR

The study is timely because most regions experiencing Zika epidemics are also dengue‑endemic. The authors investigate cross‑reactivity between dengue virus and Zika virus by testing dengue patient sera and plasmablast‑derived monoclonal antibodies against ZIKV. They assessed this cross‑reactivity by measuring binding, neutralization, and antibody‑dependent enhancement of ZIKV infection using the collected sera and monoclonal antibodies. Acute and convalescent dengue sera and monoclonal antibodies potently bind and neutralize ZIKV, can enhance ZIKV infection in vitro, and suggest that preexisting dengue antibodies may modulate immune responses to ZIKV.

Abstract

Significance In this study, we address the issue of cross-reactivity between dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) by testing sera and plasmablast-derived monoclonal antibodies from dengue patients against ZIKV. We show that both acute and convalescent dengue sera potently bind and neutralize ZIKV and that this cross-reactivity is also evident at the monoclonal level. We also demonstrate in vitro antibody-dependent enhancement of ZIKV infection in the presence of dengue-induced antibodies. Our findings strongly suggest that preexisting dengue antibodies may modulate immune responses to ZIKV infection. These data are timely and highly relevant from a public health standpoint given that a majority of regions currently experiencing Zika virus epidemics are endemic for dengue.