Phosphatidylserine's role in Ebola's inflammatory cytokine storm and hemorrhagic consumptive coagulopathy and the therapeutic potential of annexin V.

ABSTRACT: The phosphatidylserine (PS) molecule is present in cell membranes where it is actively kept on their inner leaflets but when cells are damaged it moves to the surface and become a signal for their removal, the platform upon which the coagulation cascade takes place and a ligand that activates a feedback cycle of inflammatory cytokine secretion and initiates the wakeup call for the innate immune response. These are physiologic responses to PS but the Ebola virus displays PS molecules on its membrane's surface and the huge numbers of viruses cause a pathologic inflammatory cytokine storm and a hemorrhagic consumptive coagulopathy. Annexin V is an innate molecule that can cloak membrane displayed PS and prevents its Th1 cell's inflammatory cytokine generation and cascade thrombin generation.

SUBMITTER: Kennedy JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7126469 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature