Induction of pregnancy during established EAE halts progression of CNS autoimmune injury via pregnancy-specific serum factors.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the CNS involving T cell targeting of myelin antigens. During pregnancy, women with MS experience decreased relapses followed by a post partum disease flare. Using murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we recapitulate pregnancy findings in both relapsing and progressive models. Pregnant mice produced less TNF-α, IL-17 and exhibited reduced CNS pathology relative to non-pregnant controls. Microparticles, called exosomes, shed into the blood during pregnancy were isolated and found to significantly suppress T cell activation relative to those from non-pregnant controls. These results demonstrate the immunosuppressive potential of pregnancy and serum-derived pregnancy exosomes.
Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, The Ohio State University, 760 Biomedical Research Tower, 460 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1239, United States.
Natosha N
NN
Gatson
Jessica L
JL
Williams
Nicole D
ND
Powell
Melanie A
MA
McClain
Teresa R
TR
Hennon
Paul D
PD
Robbins
Caroline C
CC
Whitacre
D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D055354:Exosomes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D016207:Cytokines