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Exploring the Role of Platelets in Virus-Induced Inflammatory Demyelinating Disease and Myocarditis

Authors :
Ijaz Ahmad
Seiichi Omura
Fumitaka Sato
Ah-Mee Park
Sundar Khadka
Felicity N. E. Gavins
Hiroki Tanaka
Motoko Y. Kimura
Ikuo Tsunoda
Source :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol 25, Iss 6, p 3460 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infection has been used as a mouse model for two virus-induced organ-specific immune-mediated diseases. TMEV-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD) in the central nervous system (CNS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with viral persistence and an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans. TMEV infection can also cause acute myocarditis with viral replication and immune cell infiltration in the heart, leading to cardiac fibrosis. Since platelets have been reported to modulate immune responses, we aimed to determine the role of platelets in TMEV infection. In transcriptome analyses of platelets, distinct sets of immune-related genes, including major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, were up- or downregulated in TMEV-infected mice at different time points. We depleted platelets from TMEV-infected mice by injecting them with platelet-specific antibodies. The platelet-depleted mice had significantly fewer viral antigen-positive cells in the CNS. Platelet depletion reduced the severities of TMEV-IDD and myocarditis, although the pathology scores did not reach statistical significance. Immunologically, the platelet-depleted mice had an increase in interferon (IFN)-γ production with a higher anti-TMEV IgG2a/IgG1 ratio. Thus, platelets may play roles in TMEV infection, such as gene expression, viral clearance, and anti-viral antibody isotype responses.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14220067 and 16616596
Volume :
25
Issue :
6
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.5c2430ed934842a85538f5206c9ba6
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25063460