Differential dengue virus antigenicity and avidity: implications for immunopathogenesis and vaccine design

This study assessed the temporal dynamics of DENV-specific antibodies in serum of Western Australian travellers up to 96 months post-infection. The participants have well-defined dengue infections acquired from endemic countries. We analysed the molecular diversity of DENV from acute-phase serum. We then assessed the longitudinal neutralising capacity, IgG titre, and avidity across a panel of DENV isolates. For each DENV immune serum panel, we observed declining neutralising capacity and varying IgG titre and avidity dynamics. We found that antibody-mediated response was virus and participant-dependent. These findings highlight the complexity of dengue immunity and inform vaccine development and strain selection strategies.