THE PROXIMAL PERIPHERAL NERVOUS-SYSTEM IS A MAJOR SITE OF DEMYELINATION IN EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS INDUCED IN THE LEWIS RAT BY A MYELIN BASIC PROTEIN-SPECIFIC T-CELL CLONE

Experimental autoimmune: encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in the Le wis rat by the passive transfer of a cytotoxic CD4(+) T cell clone spe cific for the 72-89 peptide of guinea-pig myelin basic protein (MBP). Histological studies on rats with neurological signs showed that infla mmation was present in the proximal peripheral nervous system (PNS), n amely the spinal roots, as well as in the central nervous system (CNS) . The main sites of demyelination were the spinal roots in the PNS, an d the spinal cord root entry and exit zones in the CNS. The major invo lvement of the proximal PNS in autoimmune disease directed at MBP is i n marked contrast to EAE induced by immunisation with myelin proteolip id protein, where the inflammation and demyelination are restricted to the CNS. These findings may have implications for the human inflammat ory demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis, in which MBP is a putative target antigen.