Central nervous system demyelination in Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis infection
Abstract
Arboviruses are important pathogens for both animals and humans. Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus (VEEV) is an arbovirus whose pathogenicity for grey matter structures has been previously studied. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to describe extensive inflammation and demyelination in spinal cord white matter of mice infected with VEEV. To probe a possible immunepathogenesis of white matter alterations in this infection, nude mice and heterozygous controls were similarly infected. Whereas controls still showed inflammatory demyelination, nude mice showed no white matter changes in the absence of a mononuclear inflammatory response. These results suggest that white matter changes in VEEV infection are dependent upon the host immune-response, rather than produced by primary viral cytolytic activity. Such findings are similar to those we and others obtained in a number of different viral infections and support the possibility that the host immune response may be the common denominator leading to myelin injury in a variety of viral diseases. The hypothesis of "by-stander killing" of myelin is discussed as a possible host-mediated mechanism of demyelination in viral infections.
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VEEV neurological sequelae share progressive characteristics of neurodegenerative disorders including cognitive, motor, or sensory deficits.
“Although previous studies do not indicate VEEV is related to neurodegeneration, VEEV neurological sequelae share progressive characteristics of neurodegenerative disorders including cognitive, motor, or sensory deficits [4,14,15].”
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“Alphaviruses cause a variety of diseases ranging from mild rash and arthritis to a serious febrile illness and encephalitis (27) that may result in death and severe neurological disorders (7, 21).”
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“Some of the alphaviruses, including Venezuelan (VEEV), eastern, and western equine encephalitis viruses, constitute a serious public health threat in the United States (53, 63, 65, 66) and cause severe encephalitis in humans and animals that can result in death or neurological sequelae (10, 21, 27, 41).”
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“Some of the New World alphaviruses, including the Venezuelan (VEEV), Eastern, and Western equine encephalitis viruses, cause severe encephalitis in humans and animals that can result in death or neurological disorders (9, 20, 22, 29).”
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“In mammals, VEEV infection is characterized by high-titer viremia, rash and fever, followed by severe encephalitis that can result in death or neurological disorders (Dal Canto and Rabinowitz, 1981; Griffin, 2001; Johnston and Peters, 1996; Leon, 1975).”
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- Authors
- Dal Canto, M. C., & Rabinowitz, S. G.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of the Neurological Sciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1981-03
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 397-418
- ISSN
- 0022-510X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1992524960
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the Neurological Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Infectious Encephalopathies and Encephalitis
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Viral Infections and Immunology Research
- Keywords
- Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, demyelination, spinal cord white matter, arbovirus infection, immunopathogenesis, host immune response, nude mice, bystander killing, myelin damage, viral encephalitis
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Axons, Brain, Demyelinating Diseases, Disease Models, Animal, Encephalomyelitis, Equine, Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine, Heterozygote, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Mice, Nude, Microscopy, Electron, Nerve Fibers, Myelinated, Spinal Cord, Mice
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