Prospective investigation of oxidative stress in West Nile virus Infection (PROWENI PILOT).

"WNV infection is the most common cause of epidemic encephalitis in humans in Europe and the United States. West Nile Neuro-invasive Disease (WNND) develops in 1% of infected individuals; it has a 10% case fatality rate and is associated with long-term neurologic and cognitive sequelae in survivors. WNV penetrates the blood-brain barrier, invades the central nervous system and causes necrosis and apoptosis of neurons, but the extent of neuronal injury encountered in brain regions with similar viral load varies widely. We hypothesize that the induction of oxidative stress and autophagy by WNV infection determines the severity of infection and the outcome of neuronal injury in WNV infection. During the 2020 WNV transmission season in Romania, one of the high burden countries in Europe, we will for the first time, comprehensively investigate the sequential intra-host profile of a panel of established markers of oxidative stress and autophagy in plasma, erythrocytes, Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, serum and urine in human WNV cases (n=10) and age-matched healthy controls (n=5). We will develop multiparameter indexes to measure the redox status and to investigate associations of these indexes with clinical, radiological and neuropsychological outcomes. Elucidation of the role of oxidative stress could lead to new opportunities for pharmacotherapeutic interventions in WNV infections."

Keywords:OXIDATIVE STRESS, VIRUS, NEURODEGENERATION

Disciplines:Other clinical sciences not elsewhere classified, Biomarker evaluation

Project type:Collaboration project