Dengue Fever, <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 (<scp>SARS‐CoV</scp>‐2), and <scp>Antibody‐Dependent</scp> Enhancement (<scp>ADE</scp>): A Perspective
Henning Ulrich, Micheli Mainardi Pillat, Attila Tárnok
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and recurrent dengue epidemics in tropical countries have turned into a global health threat. While both virus-caused infections may only reveal light symptoms, they can also cause severe diseases. Here, we review the possible antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) occurrence, known for dengue infections, when there is a second infection with a different virus strain. Consequently, preexisting antibodies do not neutralize infection, but enhance it, possibly by triggering Fcγ receptor-mediated virus uptake. No clinical data exist indicating such mechanism for SARS-CoV-2, but previous coronavirus infections or infection of SARS-CoV-2 convalescent with different SARS-CoV-2 strains could promote ADE, as experimentally shown for antibodies against the MERS-CoV or SARS-CoV spike S protein. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.