West Nile Virus Population Structure, Injury, and Interferon-Stimulated Gene Expression in the Brain From a Fatal Case of Encephalitis.

ABSTRACT: Background.  West Nile virus (WNV) infection in humans can result in severe, acute encephalitis typically involving subcortical gray matter brain regions. West Nile virus replication within specific human brain regions from a human case of acute encephalitis has not been studied. Methods.  We describe a fatal case of WNV encephalitis in which we obtained tissue from specific brain regions at autopsy to evaluate viral-host interactions using next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry analysis. Results.  We found that WNV populations in the injured subcortical brain regions exhibited increased amino acid variation and increased expression of specific interferon genes compared with cortical tissues despite similar viral burden. Conclusions.  These observational, patient-based data su

SUBMITTER: Grubaugh ND 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4697916 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature