Upregulation of HLA-E by dengue and not Zika viruses.

Introduction: The most severe form of dengue virus (DENV) illness, dengue haemorrhagic fever, is characterised by plasma leakage and increased vascular permeability.

Objectives: Given the critical role that endothelial cells play in the pathogenesis of DENV, we wanted to determine whether infection with DENV altered the expression of MHC class I related genes including HLA-E.

Results: In this study, we provide evidence that HLA-E but not MICA/B or HLA-G is upregulated by all four serotypes of DENV in an endothelial cell line human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC)-1.