Enhanced viral clearance and reduced leukocyte infiltration in experimental herpes encephalitis after intranasal infection of CXCR3-deficient mice.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) encephalitis (HSE) is the most common fatal sporadic encephalitis in developed countries. There is evidence from HSE animal models that not only direct virus-mediated damage caused but also the host's immune response contributes to the high mortality of the disease. Chemokines modulate and orchestrate this immune response. Previous experimental studies in HSE models identified the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and its ligands as molecules with a high impact on the course of HSE in mouse models. In this study, the role of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 was evaluated after intranasal infection with the encephalitogenic HSV-1 strain 17 syn+ using CXCR3-deficient mice (CXCR3-/-) and wild-type controls. We demonstrated a neurotropic viral spread into the CNS of after intranasal infection. Although viral load and histological distribution of infected neurons were independent from CXCR3 signaling early after infection, CXCR3-deficient mice cleared HSV-1 more efficiently 14 days after infection. Furthermore, CXCR3 deficiency led to a decreased weight loss in mice after HSV-1 infection. T cell infiltration and microglial activation was prominently reduced by inhibition of CXCR3 signaling. Quantitative PCR of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines confirmed the reduced neuroinflammatory response in CXCR3-deficient mice during HSE. Our results demonstrate that the recruitment of peripheral immune cells into the CNS, induction of neuroinflammation, and consecutive weight loss during herpes encephalitis is modulated by CXCR3 signaling. Interruption of the CXCR3 pathway ameliorates the detrimental host immune response and in turn, leads paradoxically to an enhanced viral clearance after intranasal infection. Our data gives further insight into the role of CXCR3 during HSE after intranasal infection.

[Handling of COVID-19 in the emergency department : Field report of the emergency ward of the University Hospital Münster]. / Umgang mit COVID-19 in der Notaufnahme : Erfahrungsbericht der interdisziplinären Notaufnahme des Universitätsklinikums Münster.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency rooms are faced with major challenges because they act as the interface between outpatient and inpatient care. The dynamics of the pandemic forced emergency care at the University Hospital Münster to extensively adjust their processes, which had to be carried out in the shortest time possible. This included the establishment of an outpatient coronavirus test center and a medical student-operated telephone hotline. Inside the hospital, new isolation capacities in the emergency room and a dedicated COVID-19 ward were set up. The patient flow was reorganized using flow diagrams for both the outpatient and inpatient areas. The general and special emergency management was optimized for the efficient treatment of COVID-19-positive patients and the staff were trained in the use of protective equipment. This report of our experience is intended to support other emergency departments in their preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Replication-competent herpes simplex virus type 1 mutant expressing an autofluorescent glycoprotein H fusion protein.

The heterocomplex of glycoproteins H (gH) and L (gL) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is essential for viral infectivity and is involved in viral penetration, cell-to-cell spread, and syncytium formation. We constructed an HSV-1 mutant expressing a gH-EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) fusion protein under the control of the gH true late promoter. The EGFP coding sequence was cloned after the gH signal peptide into the HSV-1 genome. Superinfection of transfected, gH-nontranscomplementing cells with gH-negative HSV-1 resulted in a replication-competent recombinant virus. Cells infected with the recombinant virus exhibited strong and stable EGFP-specific fluorescence late in infection, and autofluorescence was detected in purified virions. The recombinant genotype of the mutant was confirmed by PCR. The 140-kD gH-EGFP fusion protein showed an N-linked glycosylation pattern similar to gH-1, was recognized by the conformation-dependent gH-specific monoclonal antibodies 52S and LP11 and formed a heterocomplex with gL which was transported to the cell surface and integrated into the viral envelope. Infectivity of the gH-EGFP mutant was neutralized by antibodies 52S and LP11. To our knowledge, this is the first replication-competent HSV-1 mutant expressing an autofluorescent essential glycoprotein which will be a versatile tool for studies of penetration, late gene expression, transport and tissue spread.