Research output per year
Research output per year
Nityanand Jain (Corresponding Author), Marks Smirnovs, Samanta Strojeva, Modra Murovska, Sandra Skuja (Corresponding Author)
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Both chronic alcoholism and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection have been identified as promoters of neuroinflammation and known to cause movement-related disorders. Substantia Nigra (SN), the dopaminergic neuron-rich region of the basal ganglia, is involved in regulating motor function and the reward system. Hence, we hypothesize the presence of possible synergism between alcoholism and HHV-6 infection in the SN region and report a comprehensive quantification and characterization of microglial functions and morphology in postmortem brain tissue from 44 healthy, age-matched alcoholics and chronic alcoholics. A decrease in the perivascular CD68+ microglia in alcoholics was noted in both the gray and white matter. Additionally, the CD68+/Iba1- microglial subpopulation was found to be the dominant type in the controls. Conversely, in alcoholics, dystrophic changes in microglia were seen with a significant increase in Iba1 expression and perivascular to diffuse migration. An increase in CD11b expression was noted in alcoholics, with the Iba1+/CD11b- subtype promoting inflammation. All the controls were found to be negative for HHV-6 whilst the alcoholics demonstrated HHV-6 positivity in both gray and white matter. Amongst HHV-6 positive alcoholics, all the above-mentioned changes were found to be heightened when compared with HHV-6 negative alcoholics, thereby highlighting the compounding relationship between alcoholism and HHV-6 infection that promotes microglia-mediated neuroinflammation.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1216 |
Journal | Biomedicines |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2021 |
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Skuja, S. (Project leader), Strojeva, S. (Assistant (student)), Svirskis, Š. (Expert), Blūms, D. (Expert), Starta, G. (Participant), Garnizone, M. (Assistant (student)) & Jain, N. (Assistant (student))
1/12/20 → 31/12/21
Project: Fundamental and Applied Research Programme