title: T-cell apoptosis in inflammatory brain lesions: destruction of T cells does not depend on antigen recognition.
abstract: Elimination of inflammatory T cells by apoptosis appears to play an important role in the down-regulation of inflammation in the central nervous system. Here we report that apoptosis of T lymphocytes occurs to a similar extent in different models of autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Apoptosis is restricted to cells located in the neuroectodermal parenchyma, thereby leaving T cells present in the brain's connective tissue compartments unharmed. Death of T cells in the parenchyma does not depend on antigen presentation by resident microglial cells or astrocytes. Adoptive transfer experiments with T lymphocytes carrying a specific genetic marker revealed that in the central nervous system these cells are destroyed regardless of their antigen specificity or state of activation. Although many of both antigen-dependent and -independent mechanisms in the induction of T-cell apoptosis may act simultaneously, our results suggest that the nervous system harbors a specific, currently undefined, mechanism that effectively eliminates infiltrating T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bradl
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Hickley
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forss-Petter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Breitschopf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Linington
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wekerle
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lassmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D016923:Cell Death; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004676:Myelin Basic Protein