title: HLA-DR expression in peripheral neuropathies: the role of Schwann cells, resident and hematogenous macrophages, and endoneurial fibroblasts.
abstract: The expression of HLA-DR and the macrophage marker CD 68 was studied in 44 sural nerve biopsies from patients with inflammatory and non-inflammatory neuropathies and controls using immunohistochemistry on non-osmicated semithin sections, a technique that has not been used before in such a biopsy study. Most HLA-DR-immunoreactive (ir) cells were fibroblasts, macrophages or perineural cells, some were perivascular and endothelial cells, and only few were Schwann cells. Counts of immunoreactive cells revealed (a) increased HLA-DR expression in severe as compared to less severe neuropathies and to controls, (b) no correlation between the numbers of HLA-DR-ir cells and CD 68-ir macrophages, and (c) no close correlation between diagnostic groups and the number of HLA-DR-ir cells, but higher numbers in inflammatory neuropathies. We conclude that endoneurial fibroblasts and macrophages as antigen-presenting cells may be mediators in various peripheral nerve diseases, not only in inflammatory disorders.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Neuropathologie, Klinikum der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schröder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens