INFLAMMATORY CELLS, MICROGLIA AND MHC CLASS-II ANTIGEN-POSITIVE CELLSIN THE SPINAL-CORD OF LEWIS RATS WITH ACUTE AND CHRONIC RELAPSING EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
Pa. Mccombe et al., INFLAMMATORY CELLS, MICROGLIA AND MHC CLASS-II ANTIGEN-POSITIVE CELLSIN THE SPINAL-CORD OF LEWIS RATS WITH ACUTE AND CHRONIC RELAPSING EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS, Journal of neuroimmunology, 51(2), 1994, pp. 153-167
Chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CR-EAE) w
as induced in Lewis rats by inoculation with guinea pig spinal cord an
d adjuvants and treatment with low dose cyclosporin A (CsA). Acute EAE
was induced by the same method without CsA treatment. Immunocytochemi
stry and flow cytometry were used to assess inflammatory cells and MHC
class II (Ia) antigen expression in the central nervous system of the
se rats. The inflammatory infiltrate was composed mainly of CD4(+) T c
ells and macrophages, and cup T cells constituted about 65% of the CD2
(+) T cells. After recovery from acute EAE and during the first remiss
ion of CR-EAE, the number of T cells was significantly less than in th
e preceding episodes. The number of T cells was higher in the second e
pisode of CR-EAE than in the first remission. Throughout the course of
CR-EAE, the majority of the CD2(+) T cells were CD45RC(-). The ratio
of IL-2R(+) cells to CD2(+) cells ranged from 10.5 to 24.0%. The ratio
of CD4(+) T cells to B cells was lower in the later episodes of CR-EA
E than in the first episode. Ia antigen was expressed on infiltrating
round cells at all stages of CR-EAE and on microglial cells (identifie
d by dendritic morphology) with increasing intensity throughout the co
urse of CR-EAE. With flow cytometry, the number of Ia(+) cells obtaine
d from the spinal cord rose throughout the course of CR-EAE. The numbe
r of FSC(low)OX1(low) cells, which we consider represent microglia, al
so increased during the course of CR-EAE.