Fig. 1.

Mucous membrane associated antigen-presenting cells (APCs) provide the initial targets for filovirus infection. Infected and deregulated macrophages are major targets of infection, producing progeny virus and secreting factors conducive to the recruitment of more targets for infection. Secreted growth, chemotactic and proinflammatory factors increase monocyte production, migration and extravasation into the inflamed tissue where they differentiate into highly permissive APCs. At the same time, the proinflammatory response promotes vascular permeability and tissue factor expression on macrophages which promotes disseminated intravascular coagulation.