Identification of a TCR signature in peripheral blood derived CD4+ T cells, associated with chronic chikungunya disease, suggests a conducive, female-biased, background immune profile
A distinct CD4<sup>+</sup> TCR signature detectable six months post-infection characterizes patients who develop CCD. The association of TRAV9-2 with chronic disease and its enrichment in females suggests an underlying immune predisposition rather than persistent virus-driven expansion. These findings support a role for CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells in CCD pathophysiology and identify candidate TCR-based biomarkers for disease risk stratification.
Authors
- K Laukens
- Esther Bartholomeus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2127-5161)
- Emilie Dhondt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0804-2854)
- B Ogunjimi
- Pieter Meysman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5903-633X)
- Alvino Maestri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7372-3520)
- Koen Bartholomeeusen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9576-2400)
- Tineke Cantaert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-1502)
- Fabio Affaticati (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3520-1286)
- Duong Veasna
- S. Ly
- Kevin K. Ariën
- Elisabeth Willems
Institutions
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (PH)
- Antwerp University Hospital (BE)
- Infectious Diseases Institute (UG)
- Biomedical Informatics Research Center Antwerp (BE)
- Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (KH)
- Research Network (United States) (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Immunology
- Published
- 2026-03-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1739100
- Primary Topic
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- Universiteit Antwerpen
- National Institutes of Health
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme