Isotope Coded Protein Labeling analysis of plasma specimens from acute severe dengue fever patients

BACKGROUND: Dengue fever is the most important arthropod born viral disease of public health significance. Although most patients suffer only from flu-like symptoms, a small group of patient experiences more severe forms of the disease. To contribute to a better understanding of its pathogenesis this study aims to identify proteins differentially expressed in a pool of five viremic plasma from severe dengue patients relative to a pool of five non-severe dengue patients. RESULTS: The use of Isotope Coded Protein Labeling (ICPL(TM)) to analyze plasma depleted of twenty high-abundance proteins allowed for the identification of 51 differentially expressed proteins, which were characterized by mass spectrometry. Using quantitative ELISA, three of these proteins (Leucine-rich glycoprotein 1, Vitamin D binding-protein and Ferritin) were confirmed as having an increased expression in a panel of severe dengue plasma. The proteins identified as overexpressed by ICPL(TM) in severe dengue plasma involve in clear up action after cell injury, tissue coherence and immune defense. CONCLUSION: This ICPL(TM) study evaluating differences between acute severe dengue plasmas and acute non-severe dengue plasmas suggests that the three proteins identified are overexpressed early in the course of the disease. Their possible use as biomarkers for the prognostic of disease severity is discussed.