MMP-9 as a Marker for Vaccinia Virus Related Encephalitis

Smallpox vaccination might be associated with adverse reactions, ranging in severity from benign to lethal. One of the most serious complications is postvaccinal encephalitis. The aim of this study was to identify early markers for vaccinia virus (VACV) induced encephalitis. For this purpose we infected mice intracranially with VACV-Lister or VACV-WR. Histopathological analysis showed that following infection with VACV-WR tissue damage in the brain spatially and temporally correlated with virus replication, infiltration of white blood cells and apoptosis. None of the above markers was observed upon infection with the vaccine strain Lister.