Dengue viruses (DENV) are the most common cause of mosquito-borne viral illness in the world, affecting approximately 400 million people annually. Symptomatic illness ranges from a mild, self-limiting febrile illness to one manifested by plasma leakage that can lead to vascular collapse and death. In this issue of the JCI, Rathore et al. report that DENV can cause mast cell degranulation independently of mast cell infection, resulting in the release of the vasoactive mediators chymase and tryptase. The authors showed that recombinant chymase and tryptase increased endothelial permeability in a dose-dependent manner in human microvascular endothelial cells. They went on to evaluate the tryptase inhibitor nafamostat mesylate in a mouse model for severe DENV viremia. Strikingly, the potential therapeutic prevented and reversed the tryptase-induced vascular permeability. As there are currently no licensed drugs for the treatment of dengue, these findings present a possible treatment modality for severe disease.
Anna P. Durbin
Usage data is cumulative from July 2024 through July 2025.
Usage | JCI | PMC |
---|---|---|
Text version | 1,053 | 664 |
184 | 49 | |
Citation downloads | 96 | 0 |
Totals | 1,333 | 713 |
Total Views | 2,046 |
Usage information is collected from two different sources: this site (JCI) and Pubmed Central (PMC). JCI information (compiled daily) shows human readership based on methods we employ to screen out robotic usage. PMC information (aggregated monthly) is also similarly screened of robotic usage.
Various methods are used to distinguish robotic usage. For example, Google automatically scans articles to add to its search index and identifies itself as robotic; other services might not clearly identify themselves as robotic, or they are new or unknown as robotic. Because this activity can be misinterpreted as human readership, data may be re-processed periodically to reflect an improved understanding of robotic activity. Because of these factors, readers should consider usage information illustrative but subject to change.