Sera from remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients disrupt the blood-brain barrier.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pathological destruction of blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been thought to be the initial key event in the process of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of the present study was to clarify the possible molecular mechanisms responsible for the malfunction of BBB by sera from relapse-remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) patients.

Methods

We evaluated the effects of sera from the patients in the relapse phase of RRMS (RRMS-R), stable phase of RRMS (RRMS-S) and SPMS on the expression of tight junction proteins and vascular cell adhesion protein-1 (VCAM-1), and on the transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs).

Results

Sera from the RRMS-R or SPMS patients decreased the clau

SUBMITTER: Shimizu F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3970956 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature