A importância da proteína não estrutural NS1 na patogenicidade do vírus da dengue: uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

Dengue is the most prevalent arbovirus in humans worldwide, causing approximately 390 million infections each year in more than 120 countries and around 20,000 deaths. Predominantly concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions, the disease is transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected by the single-stranded RNA virus of the Flavivirus genus, belonging to the Flaviviridae family, and is considered a global threat to public health. The dengue virus has 4 serotypes, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4, with varying degrees of antigenicity. The immune response to the infection is monotypic, with a heterologous mechanism, allowing the severe form of the disease in subsequent infections. Dengue can present a broad clinical spectrum, from asymptomatic to symptomatic conditions and progression to severe forms, including death. The nonstructural protein NS1 is the only protein secreted by cells infected by the dengue virus and is involved in the physiological changes observed during the onset and progression of the disease. The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliographic survey on the importance of the nonstructural protein NS1 in the pathogenicity of the dengue virus. The elucidations were obtained from the PubMed database. The DENV NS1 protein presents a functional and structural pleiotropy that, together, influence mainly: the formation and consolidation of the viral replication complex, enabling viral replication, together with other nonstructural proteins and through the modulation of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane; the modulation of innate and adaptive immunity, through interactions with components of the complement system and target cell receptors; the interaction with high-density lipoprotein and its receptor and the disruption of vascular epithelial barriers, acting in the destruction of the endothelial glycocalyx and disruption of gap junctions. Considering the aspects analyzed, the NS1 protein is considered essential for the viability and pathogenesis of the dengue virus. However, its specific biological function in the disease process and its behavior in different clinical situations have not yet been fully elucidated, justifying the continuation and expansion of studies and research related to this biological marker.