Marošová L, Neradil P, Zilka N
Acta Virol. 2013;57(3):273-81.
Age is one of the key risk factors of several human neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer΄s disease and Parkinson΄s disease. During aging the immune system of the brain undergoes multiple structural and functional changes. The major immune cells of the brain - microglia and astrocytes - significantly change their morphology and functional state during aging. Similarly, the blood brain barrier (BBB), that is considered to be the iron curtain protecting the brain parenchyma against invasion of the pathogens, can be influenced by aging. This state of altered brain immunity may lead to the increased brain vulnerability to viral infections, primoinfection as well as reactivation. We hypothesize that impairment of the brain immunity and BBB integrity can create the optimal condition for viral infection that can further amplify the neuroinflammation mediated by glial cells and neurodegeneration induced and driven by disease modified proteins.
年龄是多种人类神经退行性疾病（如阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病）的关键风险因素之一。在衰老过程中，大脑的免疫系统会发生多种结构和功能变化。大脑的主要免疫细胞——小胶质细胞和星形胶质细胞——在衰老过程中会显著改变其形态和功能状态。同样，被认为是保护脑实质免受病原体入侵的铁幕的血脑屏障，也会受到衰老的影响。这种大脑免疫改变的状态可能导致大脑对病毒感染、原发性感染以及再激活的易感性增加。我们假设，大脑免疫和血脑屏障完整性的损害会为病毒感染创造最佳条件，而病毒感染会进一步放大由胶质细胞介导的神经炎症以及由疾病修饰蛋白诱导和驱动的神经退行性变。
