Pathology-related differential expression regulation of NGF, GDNF, CNTF, and IL-6 mRNAs in human vasculitic neuropathy

The mRNA levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), glial cell line-derived neuro trophic factor (GDNF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and interleukin- 6 (IL-6) were examined in sural nerves of 22 patients with acute necrotizin g vasculitic neuropathies. NGF, GDNF, and IL-6 mRNAs were upregulated and C NTF mRNA was downregulated in the lesioned nerves, but their up- and down-r egulation levels were not correlated with each other, showing that these mR NAs were independently expressed. The expression of NGF and CNTF mRNAs was clearly correlated with the degree of infiltrated macrophages and T cells, and myelinated fiber density, respectively. These findings indicate that th ese neurotrophic factors are differentially expressed temporally and spatia lly in the vasculitic nerve lesion by an underlying pathology-related proce ss. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.