This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Huang, Y.-M. Articles by Link, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Huang, Y.-M. Articles by Link, H. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Immunological heterogeneity of multiple sclerosis in Sardinia and Sweden

Division of Neuroimmunology, Neurotec Department, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, yu-min.huang{at}neurotec.ki.se

Xuan Liu

Division of Neuroimmunology, Neurotec Department, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Knut Steffensen

Department of Biosciences, Karolinska Institute at NOVUM, Huddinge, Sweden

Alessandra Sanna

Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Giannina Arru

Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Maria Laura Fois

Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Giulio Rosati

Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Stefano Sotgiu

Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Hans Link

Division of Neuroimmunology, Neurotec Department, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Subjects from Sardinia, Italy, are relatively homogeneous compared to Swedes. Although ethnically distant, both populations have similarly high multiple sclerosis (MS) incidence rates. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and their receptors, signalling molecules and other immune response-associated factors might influence MS pathogenesis, though definite proof is missing. The study of populations with similar MS incidence but different genetic and environmental background could make possible the definition of factors that relate to such background differences. We selected untreated female MS patients from Sassari, Sardinia, and Stockholm, Sweden, and corresponding sexand age-matched healthy controls (HC), to study blood mononuclear cells (MNC) for mRNA expression of 20 immune response-related genes considered relevant in MS, employing real-time PCR. Higher expression of IL-12p40 mRNA was confined to MS from both Sassari and Stockholm, compared to corresponding HC. MS patients from Sassari, but not Stockholm, expressed higher TNF-a compared to corresponding HC. MS patients from Stockholm, but not Sassari, expressed higher IL-6. Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO), a molecule necessary in tolerance induction, was lower in MS from Stockholm compared to corresponding HC. This was not observed in Sassari. No differences were detected for other members of the IL-12 family, other Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and the signalling molecules Stat 4 and 6. The results corroborate a pro-inflammatory state in MS as reflected by high expression of IL-12, TNF-a and IL-6, although the extent of expression of TNF-a, IL-6 and IDO differs between strictly matched MS patients from different high-incidence areas. This might result from genetic and/or environmental differences. They may account for some of the discrepancies regarding immune response-related molecules previously reported in MS. In conclusion, a pro-inflammatory state exists in MS patients from Sassari as well as Stockholm. The changes of pro-inflammatory and other immune response-related variables differ however between the two MS populations. This may be attributed to the genetic and/or environmental background.

Key Words: IDO • IL-6 • IL-12 • multiple sclerosis • RT-PCR • TNF-

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 11, No. 1, 16-23 (2005)
DOI: 10.1191/1352458505ms1127oa


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A Sanna, Y. Huang, G Arru, M. Fois, H Link, G Rosati, and S Sotgiu Multiple sclerosis: reduced proportion of circulating plasmacytoid dendritic cells expressing BDCA-2 and BDCA-4 and reduced production of IL-6 and IL-10 in response to herpes simplex virus type 1 Multiple Sclerosis, November 1, 2008; 14(9): 1199 - 1207. [Abstract] [PDF]