Neurotropism Flashcards
what are three major concerns regarding neurological infections?
- the development of drug resistant viruses
- the increasing number of immunocompromised human populations
- the rising number of diseases previously considered rare (e.g. Zika virus)
what are two unique aspects of CNS infections?
- localization of the infection dictates the clinical presentation (CNS vs PNS)
- brain is an immunoprivileged organ – BBB protection + innate vs adaptive immunity
what are the 5 classifications of zoonotic diseases?
- stage 1: animal only
- stage 2: primary infection only (e.g. rabies)
- stage 3: limited outbreak – from animals or few human cycles
- stage 4: long outbreak – from animals or many human cycles
- stage 5: exlusive human agent
what are five determinants of emerging infections?
- susceptible populations: poverty, war, famine, immunosuppression
- altered human and animal contact
- disrupted environemnts: climate change and economic developments
- medical practices
- rapid and frequent global movement of animals and humans
Name and briefly describe 5 neurological infectious syndromes
- meningitis: nuchal rigidiity + cranial neuropathies
- encephalitis: fever, confusion/altered state –> coma, seizure, focal signs
- myelitis: limb weakness, back pain, sensory loss
- absecess: focal signs, fever, seizure
- radiculopathy/neuropathy: localized radicular pain, fever, weakness
what protects CNS cells vs PNS cells?
- CNS: BBB
- PNS: blood-nerve barrier
what is the difference between systemic capillaries vs CNS capillaries (BBB)?
systemic
- few mito
- fenestra
BBB
- many mito
- tight junctions
- astrocytes
- microglia
what is the most abundant cell in the brain?
astrocytes
what is the role of oligodendrocytes?
essential for CNS myelin formation
which cell in the brain is the key player in brain inflammation? describe its normal vs activated state
microglia
normal
- immune sensors
activated
- phagocytosis
- chemotaxis
- Ag presentation
- cytotoxicity
- morphological changes
- proliferation
- respiratory burst
which cells are permissive to HIV?
CD4+ T cells and macrophages
name three aspects of neuroHIV
- opportunistic infections
- ART-associated disorders
- primary HIV neurological symptoms (e.g. HAND)
does ART (antiretroviral therapy) affect HIV in the brain?
no – brain viral RNA, DNA, and integrated DNA were present in all HIV-infected person and realtively unaffected by ART exposure despite suppression of plasma viral loads
what does HAND stand for? what are some aspects of this?
HAND = HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder
- memory loss
- neuropsychiatiric dysfunction
- immuno deficiency
- motor abnormalities
what is seen in neuroimages of HAND patients?
brain atrophy/white matter inflammation
what is a potential biomarker for HAND/HIV neurovirulence?
MAN1B1