Zika Virus Infection Promotes Local Inflammation, Cell Adhesion Molecule Upregulation, and Leukocyte Recruitment at the Blood-Brain Barrier
Marion Clé, Caroline Desmetz, Jonathan Barthelemy, Marie Martin, Orianne Constant, Ghizlane Maarifi, Vincent Foulongne, Karine Bolloré, Yaël Glasson, Frédéric de Bock, Marine Blaquière, Lucie Dehouck, Nelly Pirot, Édouard Tuaillon, Sébastien Nisole, Fatiha Najioullah, Philippe Van de Perre, André Cabie, Nicola Marchi, Fabien Gosselet, Yannick Simonin, Sara Salinas
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) can be associated with neurological impairment in children and adults. To reach the central nervous system, viruses have to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a multicellular system allowing a tight separation between the bloodstream and the brain. Here, we show that ZIKV infects cells of the BBB and triggers a subtle change in its permeability. Moreover, ZIKV infection leads to the production of inflammatory molecules known to modulate BBB integrity and participate in immune cell attraction. The virus also led to the upregulation of cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs), which in turn favored immune cell binding to the BBB and potentially increased infiltration into the brain. These results were also observed in a mouse model of ZIKV infection. Furthermore, plasma samples from ZIKV-infected patients displayed an increase in CAMs, suggesting that this mechanism could be involved in neuroinflammation triggered by ZIKV.