J Neuroimmunol 2003 Feb;135(1-2):126-34
Gomes AC, Jonsson G, Mjornheim S, Olsson T, Hillert J, Grandien A.
Department of Neurology, Neurotec Department, Karolinska Institute
at Huddinge University Hospital, R54, SE-141 86, Stockholm, Sweden
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease involving an inflammatory reaction within the white matter of the CNS, mediated by T cells, B cells and macrophages.
The pathogenesis of MS may involve impaired activation-induced cell death of activated myelin-specific mature T cells.
We investigated the mRNA expression of the apoptosis mediators cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP), caspase-8, CD95 and CD95L in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB MNCs) from MS patients using real-time PCR.
The overall increased expression of the four key players in the CD95 pathway in relapsing-remitting MS suggests their involvement in the inflammatory process in this disease.