Inflammatory response in human tick-borne encephalitis: analysis of postmortem brain tissue

• Published in: Journal of neurovirology Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 322 - 327
• Main Authors: Gelpi, Ellen, Preusser, Matthias, Laggner, Ute, Garzuly, Ferenc, Holzmann, Heidemarie, Heinz, Franz Xaver, Budka, Herbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Informa UK Ltd 01.08.2006; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Animals; Apoptosis - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - immunology; Brain - pathology; Brain - virology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - immunology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - pathology; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - virology; Flavivirus; Granzymes - biosynthesis; Granzymes - immunology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious diseases; Inflammation - immunology; Ixodes - virology; Macrophages - immunology; Medical sciences; Microglia - immunology; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - enzymology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Viral diseases of the nervous system; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Nervous system diseases; Tick borne encephalitis; Postmortem; Cerebral disorder; Infection; Virus; tick-borne encephalitis; Cell death; Viral disease; Arbovirus disease; Central nervous system disease; cytotoxic T cells; Cytotoxic T lymphocyte
• ISSN: 1355-0284; 1538-2443
• DOI: 10.1080/13550280600848746

In Central European tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) mechanisms of tissue destruction are poorly understood. To evaluate the contribution of immunological mechanisms to tissue injury, the authors immunohistochemically analyzed paraffin-embedded autoptic brain tissue of 26 human TBE cases. In the parenchymal compartment, there was a predominance of macrophages/microglia and cytotoxic T cells. In addition, it was found that granzyme B-expressing lymphocytes were in close contact with TBE-expressing neurons up-regulating caspase-3. These findings indicate that cellular and humoral pathways of the immune system, especially granzyme B-releasing cytotoxic T cells and macrophages/microglia, mainly contribute to tissue destruction in TBE.