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High numbers of perforin mRNA expressing CSF cells in multiple sclerosis patients with gadolinium‐enhancing brain MRI lesions
Author(s) -
Kivisäkk P.,
Stawiarz L.,
Matusevicius D.,
Fredrikson S.,
Söderström M.,
Hindmarsh T.,
Link H.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1999.tb00719.x
Subject(s) - multiple sclerosis , gadolinium , medicine , perforin , pathology , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , immunology , chemistry , immune system , cd8 , organic chemistry
Enhanced expression of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines is a common finding in MS, but attempts to correlate cytokine expression with disease activity have produced conflicting results. In this paper, gadolinium‐(Gd‐)enhancing lesions on brain MRI were used as markers for active inflammation in patients with MS not treated with any immunomodulatory drugs. In parallel, in situ hybridization was used to detect blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) mononuclear cells (MNC) expressing cytokine mRNA. An association was observed between numbers of perforin mRNA expressing CSF MNC and numbers of Gd‐enhancing brain MRI lesions. Perform mRNA expressing CSF MNC were not detected in any of the patients lacking active lesions on brain MRI. The expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and IL‐12 mRNA in CSF MNC did not differ between MS patients with and without active MRI lesions. Based on the present finding, a role for perforin in the disruption of the blood‐brain barrier in MS can be hypothesized.