TNF-α acts as an immunoregulator in the mouse brain by reducing the incidence of severe disease following Japanese encephalitis virus infection.

ABSTRACT: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes acute central nervous system (CNS) disease in humans, in whom the clinical symptoms vary from febrile illness to meningitis and encephalitis. However, the mechanism of severe encephalitis has not been fully elucidated. In this study, using a mouse model, we investigated the pathogenetic mechanisms that correlate with fatal JEV infection. Following extraneural infection with the JaOArS982 strain of JEV, infected mice exhibited clinical signs ranging from mild to fatal outcome. Comparison of the pathogenetic response between severe and mild cases of JaOArS982-infected mice revealed increased levels of TNF-α in the brains of severe cases. However, unexpectedly, the mortality rate of TNF-α KO mice was significantly increased compared with that of WT mic

SUBMITTER: Hayasaka D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3733918 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature