Interleukin-17 mRNA expression in blood and CSF mononuclear cells is augmented in multiple sclerosis.
Myelin-directed autoimmunity is considered to play a key role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Increased production of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is a common finding in MS. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a recently described cytokine produced in humans almost exclusively by activated memory T cells, which can induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines from parenchymal cells and macrophages. In situ hybridisation with synthetic oligonucleotide probes was adopted to detect and enumerate IL-17 mRNA expressing mononuclear cells (MNC) in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with MS and control individuals. Numbers of IL-17 mRNA expressing blood MNC were higher in patients with MS and acute aseptic meningoencephalitis (AM) compared to healthy individuals. Higher numbers of IL-17 mRNA expressing blood MNC were detected in MS patients examined during clinical exacerbation compared to remission. Patients with MS had higher numbers of IL-17 mRNA expressing MNC in CSF compared to blood. This increase in numbers of IL-17 mRNA expressing MNC in CSF was not observed in patients with AM. Our results thus demonstrate increased numbers of IL-17 mRNA expressing MNC in MS with higher numbers in CSF than blood, and with the highest numbers in blood during clinical exacerbations.
Matusevicius
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D
Division of Neurology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kivisäkk
P
P
He
B
B
Kostulas
N
N
Ozenci
V
V
Fredrikson
S
S
Link
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000235:genetics*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
D020381:Interleukin-17; D012333:RNA, Messenger