Placental inflammation and fetal injury in a rare Zika case associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome and abortion

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.98519180318

• Palavras-chave: Atena

• Keywords: Zika virus, immune response, Guillain-Barré syndrome, fetal infection, histopathology

• Abstract:

  Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging

  virus involved in recent outbreaks in Brazil. The

  association between the virus and GuillainBarré syndrome (GBS) or congenital disorders

  has raised a worldwide concern. In this work,

  we investigated a rare Zika case, which was

  associated with GBS and spontaneous retained

  abortion. Using specific anti-ZIKV staining,

  the virus was identified in placenta (mainly in

  Hofbauer cells) and in several fetal tissues,

  such as brain, lungs, kidneys, skin and liver.

  Histological analyses of the placenta and

  fetal organs revealed different types of tissue

  abnormalities, which included inflammation,

  hemorrhage, edema and necrosis in placenta,

  as well as tissue disorganization in the fetus.

  Increased cellularity (Hofbauer cells and

  TCD8+ lymphocytes), expression of local proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and TNF-α,

  and other markers, such as RANTES/CCL5 and VEGFR2, supported placental inflammation and dysfunction. The commitment of the

  maternal-fetal link in association with fetal damage gave rise to a discussion regarding

  the influence of the maternal immunity towards the fetal development. Findings

  presented in this work may help understanding the ZIKV immunopathogenesis under

  the rare contexts of spontaneous abortions in association with Guillain-Barré syndrome

• Número de páginas: 15