Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major pathogen that causes hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD). Our previous studies have demonstrated that the complete process of pathogenesis, which may include tissue damage induced by host inflammatory responses and direct tissue damage caused by viral infection, can be observed in the central nervous system (CNS) of animals infected in the laboratory with EV71. Based on these observations, the neuropathogenesis and protein expression profiles in the thalamic tissues of EV71-infected animals were further analyzed in the present study. Changes in protein expression profiles following immunization with the inactivated EV71 vaccine followed by virus challenge were observed and evaluated, and their physiological roles in viral pathogenesis are discussed. Taken together, the results of these experiments provide evidence regarding the neuropathogenesis and molecular mechanisms associated with EV71 infection and identify several protein indicators of pathogenic changes during viral infection.

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