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Pharmacologic Depletion of Microglia Increases Viral Load in the Brain and Enhances Mortality in Murine Models of Flavivirus-Induced Encephalitis
Seitz S, Clarke P, Tyler KL.. Journal of virology, 2018-07-31
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Flaviviruses account for most arthropod-borne cases of human encephalitis in the world. However, the exact mechanisms of injury to the central nervous system (CNS) during flavivirus infections remain poorly understood. Microglia are the resident immune cells of the CNS and are important for multiple functions, including control of viral pathogenesis.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Seitz, S., Clarke, P., & Tyler, K. L. (2018). Pharmacologic Depletion of Microglia Increases Viral Load in the Brain and Enhances Mortality in Murine Models of Flavivirus-Induced Encephalitis. Journal of virology. https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00525-18
Vancouver
Seitz S, Clarke P, Tyler KL. Pharmacologic Depletion of Microglia Increases Viral Load in the Brain and Enhances Mortality in Murine Models of Flavivirus-Induced Encephalitis. Journal of virology. 2018. doi:10.1128/jvi.00525-18. PMID: 29899084.
BibTeX
@article{seitz2018-29899084,
author = {Seitz, S. and Clarke, P. and Tyler, K. L.},
title = {{Pharmacologic Depletion of Microglia Increases Viral Load in the Brain and Enhances Mortality in Murine Models of Flavivirus-Induced Encephalitis}},
journal = {Journal of virology},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1128/jvi.00525-18},
pmid = {29899084},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.00525-18}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- However, the exact mechanisms of injury to the central nervous system (CNS) during flavivirus infections remain poorly understood.
- Microglia are the resident immune cells of the CNS and are important for multiple functions, including control of viral pathogenesis.
- Utilizing a pharmacologic method of microglia depletion (PLX5622 [Plexxikon Inc.], an inhibitor of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor), we sought to determine the role of microglia in flaviviral pathogenesis.
- Depletion of microglia resulted in increased mortality and viral titer in the brain following infection with either West Nile virus (WNV) or Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).
Why it matters
In mice with flavivirus brain infection, using a drug to deplete microglia increased viral load in the brain and raised mortality. This shows microglia help control this viral infection, but it concerns infectious disease in animals and not Alzheimer's treatment, cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of virology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Virology: journal h-index 421 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “murine”) — scores zero |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 89 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.9 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 27 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Kenneth L. Tyler: h-index 71 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Colorado Denver: institution h-index 907 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29899084) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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