Human Muscle Satellite Cells as Targets of Chikungunya Virus Infection

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000527
• Publication Date: 2007-06-12T20:56:58Z
• Authors: Simona Ozden; Michel Huerre; Jean-Pierre Riviere; Lark L. Coffey; Philippe V. Afonso; Vincent Mouly; Jean de Monredon; Jean-Christophe R...; Mohamed El Amrani; Jean-Luc Yvin; Marie-Christine J...; Marie-Pascale Fre...; Marion Sourisseau; Olivier Schwartz; Gillian Butler-Br...; Philippe Desprès; Antoine Gessain; Pierre-Emmanuel C...
• Keywords: myalgia; Alphavirus infection

Chikungunya (CHIK) virus is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that causes in humans an acute infection characterised by fever, polyarthralgia, head-ache, and myalgia. Since 2005, the emergence of CHIK was associated with unprecedented magnitude outbreak disease Indian Ocean. Clinically, this characterized invalidating poly-arthralgia, myalgia being reported 97.7% cases. cellular targets are unknown, we studied pathogenic events skeletal muscle.Immunohistology on muscle biopsies from two virus-infected patients myositic syndrome showed viral antigens were found exclusively inside progenitor cells (designed as satelllite cells), not fibers. To evaluate ability to replicate human satellite cells, assessed primary cells; growth observed cytopathic effect, whereas myotubes essentially refractory infection.This report provides new insights into pathogenesis, since it first identify target selective agent humans.