Platelets in the pathogenesis of flavivirus disease

• Published in: Current opinion in virology 2022-02, Vol.52, p.220-228
• Main Authors: Balakrishna Pillai, Agiesh Kumar, Chu, Justin Jang Hann, Mariappan, Vignesh, JeanPierre, Aashika Raagavi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood Platelets - physiology; Dengue; Flavivirus; Humans; Thrombocytopenia
• ISSN: 1879-6257; 1879-6265
• DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.12.007

•Platelets are identified as an important contributor in pathogenesis of major emerging haemorrhage-causing virus diseases.•Regulatory mechanisms that leads to thrombocytopenia is not well studied in flavivirus except dengue.•The mode of platelet activation, platelet destruction and vascular leakage during virus infection remains inconclusive.•Knowledge on platelet-endothelial cell cross talk will lead to develop novel therapeutic and prognostic strategies for dengue management. Research on the role of platelets in modulating innate and adaptive host immune responses has gaining importance in the last two decades. Since the virus can directly interact with platelet receptors and modulate the host immune response, understanding the role of platelets in viral pathogenesis would pave way for novel therapeutic means. The present review aims at presenting the important molecular aspects of platelet–flavivirus interactions and how it leads to platelet activation, thrombocytopenia, and vascular endothelial leakage. Besides, the role of some of the platelet-derived factors as biomarkers for the early prediction of disease outcome taking dengue infection as an example is reviewed.