Surprisingly, eliminating leptomeningeal macrophages had little or no effect on the infection-dependent redistribution of CLDN5 in leptomeningeal ECs, leakage of Sulfo-NHS-biotin, the increase in the area occupied by leptomeningeal vasculature, or the fractional increase in the number of ECs showing induction of the NF kappaB reporter (Figure 8B-D). Here, CLDN5 is linked to infection.