ABSTRACT
Viremia disseminates virus and concomitantly exposes the vasculature to viral pathogens (Cines et al., 1998; Valbuena and Walker, 2006). Yet only a few viruses specically target the endothelial cell (EC) lining of capillaries and cause vascular permeability decits that result in acute edematous or hemorrhagic disease (Cines et al., 1998; Martina et al., 2009; Valbuena and Walker, 2006; Zaki et al., 1995). Hantaviruses, dengue viruses, and ebolaviruses clearly infect the endothelium and cause dramatic changes in capillary functions that result in vascular pathology (Basu and Chaturvedi, 2008; Cines et al., 1998; Diamond et al., 2000a; Gavrilovskaya et al., 2008; Halstead, 2008; Jessie et al., 2004; Koster and Mackow, 2012; Lahdevirta, 1982; Lee, 1982b; Lee et al., 1982; Zaki et al., 1995). The mechanisms by which these viruses alter the uid barrier integrity of the endothelium are varied but commonly involve dysregulating EC functions and as a result emphasize the importance of vessel stability in preventing highly lethal viral diseases (Aird, 2004; Cines et al., 1998; Gorbunova et al., 2010, 2011; Halstead, 2008).
