This thesis is concerned with the level of parents´ awareness and attitudes to above-standard vaccination of children from 0-3 years in Příbram. Among the optional vaccination of children from 0-3 years belong vaccination against pneumococcal disease, rotavirus infections, meningococcal invasive disease (caused by meningococcal of group C, A+C, or A, C, W 135 and Y, now also of group B), tick-borne encephalitis, varicella smallpox, influenza and hepatitis A (or a combination of type A + B). The first part deals with the issue in a theoretical perspective. It foreshadows the basic characteristics of the diseases against which the premium vaccination of children from 0-3 years is offered. Further it is focused on vaccines against these diseases, which can occur in the Czech Republic. The survey is summarized in the research. There were parents of children attending one of the 12 kindergartens in Příbram in the sample of the research. tely 40% of the parents (or mothers) of these children in each kindergarten.The results were summarized in schedules of absolute and relative frequencies, or graphs. It was set three basic goals that were met with five hypotheses. The first of these was to monitor the attitudes of parents to above-standard vaccination of children from 0-3 years in Příbram. To this target relate hypothesis H1: Parents are interested in above-standard vaccination of children from 0-3 years in Příbram, H2: Parents with higher educational level have significantly higher interest in above-standard vaccination of children from 0-3 years and H3: Parents are statistically significantly more interested in vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis than other extra vaccination of children from 0-3 years, due to an endemic area of tick-borne encephalitis in Příbram. These hypotheses were not confirmed statistically. The second aim investigated the main reason for the possible lack of interest in extra vaccination of children from 0-3 years in Příbram. The target was filled with hypothesis H4: The main reason for the possible lack of parents´ interest in extra vaccination of children from 0-3 years is high price of vaccines, which was statistically refuted. The third goal was to explore parents' knowledge about diseases against which the extra vaccination of children from 0-3 years is offered. To this goal was set the hypothesis H5: Parents have sufficient information about the diseases against which the extra vaccination of children from 0-3 years is offered. This hypothesis was confirmed. The hypotheses were verified by ?chi-square? test at a significance level of 5%, which is an instrument of verification or falsification of hypotheses. This work may be used in practice as a preview to the parents´ awareness and interest in extra vaccination of children from 0-3 years. As well as cumulative information materials for professionals and the public about the above-standard vaccination of children from 0-3 years.

Cases of trypanosomiasis by Trypanosoma evansi were diagnosed in horses in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between 2003 and 2006. In one stud farm (Farm A) with 125 horses, 53 died. Additionally, around 80 mares were sent to Farm A to be bred. Of those, 66 became ill and 56 died after being returned to their farms of origin. Twenty three horses clinically affected by the disease were observed. Clinical signs included loss of weight (despite voracious appetite), lethargy, incoordination and instability of hindlimbs, atrophy of the large muscles of the hindlimbs, muscle weakness and paleness of mucosae. Specimens of T. evansi were detected in the blood drawn from four affected horses. Normocytic normochromic anemia with PCVs ranging from 15 to 31%, leucocytosis due to lymphocytosis associated to large atypical lymphocytes was observed in several affected horses. High levels of antibodies against T. evansi were detected in the serum of fifteen horses. Ten horses presented encephalic neurological signs such as circling, ataxia, blindness, excitation, falls, listlessness, proprioception deficits and head tilt. One horse assumed a dog-seating position . Necropsy findings included muscle atrophy, enlargement and lymphoid hyperplasia of the spleen and lymphnodes. Seven out of the 9 necropsied horses with encephalic signs had asymmetrical gross lesions in the brain consisting of flattening of gyri and focal extensive areas of yellow discoloration and softening of white matter. Histologically, an overwhelming necrotizing anencephalitis was observed in all 9 horses with encephalic neurological signs. This panencephalitis was characterized by marked edema, demyelination and malacia, and perivascular infiltrates of up to 20 rows of mononuclear cells affecting mainly the white matter. Several plasma cells in the inflammatory infiltrate contained numerous eosinophilic globules (Mott cells) or homogenous bright-red material (flame cells) in their cytoplasm. Mild to moderate meningomyelitis and/or meningitis were observed in the spinal cord of 5 horses. Similar histological lesions were observed in the spinal cord of the horse with the dog-seating position . The brains of nine horses with the encephalic signs were submitted to immunohistochemistry stain by the streptavidin-biotin technique. In eight brains moderate to abundant specimens of T. evansi in the perivascular spaces and neuropile were marked by the specific antibody. / Casos de tripanossomíase por Trypanosoma evansi foram diagnosticados em eqüinos no Rio Grande do Sul entre 2003 e 2006. Em uma propriedade (Propriedade A) com 125 eqüinos, 53 morreram. A Propriedade A recebeu ao redor de 80 éguas de outras propriedades para cobertura. Dessas, 66 adoeceram e 56 morreram após voltarem para suas propriedades de origem. A doença clínica observada em 23 eqüinos caracterizava-se por emagrecimento (apesar de apetite voraz), letargia, incoordenação e instabilidade dos membros pélvicos, atrofia das grandes massas musculares dos membros pélvicos, fraqueza muscular e palidez das mucosas. Exemplares de T. evansi foram observados na corrente sangüínea de 4 eqüinos. Anemia normocítica normocrômica, com hematócritos que variavam de 15-31%, e leucocitose por linfocitose associada à presença de linfócitos atípicos foram observadas em vários eqüinos. Altos níveis de anticorpos contra T. evansi foram detectados em 15 eqüinos. Dez eqüinos desenvolveram um quadro neurológico encefálico caracterizado por andar em círculos, ataxia, cegueira, hiperexcitabilidade, quedas, embotamento, déficits proprioceptivos e desvio da cabeça. Um eqüino desenvolveu posição de cão sentado . Nas 15 necropsias, havia esplenomegalia, linfadenomegalia, hiperplasia linfóide no baço e linfonodo e atrofia das grandes massas musculares dos membros pélvicos. Sete dos nove eqüinos com um quadro neurológico encefálico que foram necropsiados apresentavam lesões encefálicas macroscópicas assimétricas que consistiam de achatamentos dos giros e áreas amarelas e amolecidas focalmente extensas na substância branca. Histologicamente, uma panencefalite necrosante avassaladora foi observada em todos os 9 eqüinos. Essa panencefalite era caracterizada por acentuado edema, desmielinização, malacia e infiltrado perivascular de até 20 fileiras de células mononucleares afetando principalmente a substância branca. Vários plasmócitos no infiltrado inflamatório continham numerosos glóbulos eosinofílicos (células de Mott) ou material vermelho-brilhante (células em flama) em seus citoplasmas. Meningomielite e/ou meningite leve ou moderada foram observadas na medula espinhal de 5 eqüinos. Lesões semelhantes foram observadas na medula espinhal do eqüino que desenvolveu posição de cão sentado . Os encéfalos de 9 eqüinos com quadro encefálico foram submetidos à técnica de imunoistoquímica estreptoavidina-biotina; em oito observou-se a marcação de números moderados ou elevados de espécimes de T. evansi pelo anticorpo específico nos espaços perivasculares e na neurópila.

Les Flavivirus neuropathogènes, tels que le virus de l’encéphalite japonaise (JEV), le virus West Nile (WNV), le virus de la fièvre jaune (YFV) et le virus Zika (ZIKV) causent des maladies neurologiques. Ces maladies sont dues à une infection des cellules du système nerveux central (CNS) par ces virus. Le CNS est un organe privilégié, isolé des agents pathogènes par une barrière entre le sang et le cerveau, appelée barrière hémato-encéphalique (BBB). Les Flavivirus neuropathogènes capables de traverser cette BBB afin d’atteindre leurs cellules cibles, localisées dans le CNS, sont neuroinvasifs. Le but de cette étude est de comprendre les mécanismes cellulaires permettant aux Flavivirus de traverser la BBB et les effets de l’infection par les virus ZIKV et WNV des cellules du CNS sur le développement de celles-ci.Le YFV est un virus hépatotrope, infectant majoritairement le foie et les reins. Deux vaccins vivants atténués dirigés contre le YFV, le vaccin FNV (pour French Neurotropic Virus) et le vaccin 17D, ont été obtenus empiriquement par passages successifs de souches virulentes de YFV sur cerveaux de souriceaux. Ces vaccins ne causent plus de maladies touchant les reins et le foie, mais peuvent parfois causer des encéphalites post-vaccinales. Ces cas d’encéphalites démontrent que ces souches vaccinales sont devenues neurovirulentes mais aussi neuroinvasives car les virus ont pu franchir la BBB. A cause d’une incidence trop élevée d’encéphalites post-vaccinales par rapport au vaccin 17D, le vaccin FNV a été retiré du marché dans les années 1980.Le JEV est un virus neurotrope, causant des encéphalites graves en Asie du Sud-Est. A ce jour, il existe un vaccin vivant atténué, le JEV SA14-14-2, obtenu empiriquement par passages successifs d’une souche virulente sur cellules de hamster. Ce vaccin est moins neurovirulent et moins neuroinvasif que les souches virulentes de JEV en modèle de souris, et protège contre des infections humaines par le JEV. Cependant, des cas d’encéphalites ont été rapportés après injection de ce vaccin. Il apparait donc que, dans certains cas, la souche vaccinale JEV SA14-14-2 est capable de traverser la BBB et d’infecter les cellules neuronales. Les dernières épidémies à virus ZIKV en Polynésie Française et en Amérique du Sud ont induit une augmentation de cas de malformations congénitales dans les zones touchées. Cela a soulevé de nouvelles questions quant à la capacité d’un Flavivirus à provoquer des malformations congénitales du CNS. Dans cette étude, nous avons identifié les mécanismes cellulaires permettant aux Flavivirus de traverser la BBB et les effets de l’infection par les virus ZIKV et WNV des cellules du CNS sur le développement de celles-ci.Nous avons utilisé deux systèmes in vitro permettant d’étudier le développement du CNS et la neuroinvasion des Flavivirus. Un premier système consiste en l’infection de coupes de cerveaux d’embryon de souris. En utilisant ce système, nous avons montré que le ZIKV a un tropisme préférentiel pour les cellules progénitrices de neurones, alors que le WNV a un tropisme préférentiel pour les neurones. Nous avons également montré que l’infection des progéniteurs neuronaux par le ZIKV induit un arrêt de la mitose cellulaire, alors que l’infection par le WNV n’a aucun effet sur la mitose. L’étude sur l’effet apoptotique de l’infection par les deux virus WNV et ZIKV n’a montré aucune différence entre les deux virus à des temps précoces d’infection.Un deuxième système a été mis au point pour l’étude de la neuroinvasion par les Flavivirus neuropathogènes. Ce système est composé de cellules endothéliales hCMEC/D3 pouvant former des jonctions serrées. Ces cellules ont été cultivées sur filtres d’insert de puits de culture cellulaire Transwell, placés au-dessus de cellules neuronales humaines. A l’aide de ce système, nous avons comparé la capacité à traverser la BBB de plusieurs Flavivirus. / Neuropathogenic Flaviviruses, such as Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), West Nile virus (WNV), yellow fever virus (YFV) and Zika virus (ZIKV), cause neurological diseases. These diseases are due to viral infection of central nervous system (CNS) cells. The CNS is a privileged organ, isolated from pathogenic agents by a barrier between the blood and the barrier, called the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Neuropathogenic Flaviviruses which can cross this BBB in order to reach their target cells in the CNS, are neuroinvasive. This study aims at understanding the cellular mechanisms by which YFV and JEV Flaviviruses cross the BBB and the effects of viral infection by WNV and ZIKV of the CNS cells during neocortex development.YFV is a hepatrotopic virus, which mostly infects the liver and the kidneys. The two live-attenuated vaccines against YFV, the FNV (for French Neurotropic Virus) vaccine and the 17D vaccine, were obtained empirically by several passages in suckling mouse brain of YFV virulent strains. These vaccines do not cause any disease targeting the liver or the kidneys, but can sometimes cause post-vaccine encephalitis. These encephalitis cases suggest that the vaccine strains have become neurovirulent and neuroinvasive. Due to high risks of post-vaccine encephalitis, the FNV vaccine use was discontinued in the 1980s.JEV is a neurotropic virus, causing acute encephalitis in South East Asia. To date, there is a live-attenuated vaccine against JEV, the JEV SA14-14-2 vaccine, which was obtained empirically by several passages in primary hamster kidney cells. This vaccine is less neurovirulent and less neuroinvasive than JEV virulent strains in mouse model, and it protects against JEV infections. However, some cases of post-vaccine encephalitis were reported. It thus seems that, in some cases, the vaccine strain JEV SA14-14-2 is able to cross the BBB and infect neuronal cells.The recent ZIKV epidemics in French Polynesia and South America were linked to an increase in the number of congenital malformations, rising questions regarding the capacity of a Flavivirus to induce CNS congenital malformations.In this study, we have identified cellular mechanisms involved in Flavivirus neuroinvasion and studied the effect of ZIKV and WNV infection of neuronal cells under development.To study CNS development, we have infected mouse embryos brain slices. We were able to show that ZIKV has a preferential tropism for neuronal progenitors, whereas WNV has a preferential tropism for neuronal cells. We also show that infection of neuronal progenitors by ZIKV impairs the cell life cycle, whereas no effect on the cell life cycle was observed for WNV-infected cells. Studies on apoptosis induction did not show any difference between both viruses at early time points of infection.To study Flavivirus neuroinvasion, we have used an in vitro model of BBB composed of human endothelial hCMEC/D3 cells that can form tight junctions. These cells were cultivated on Transwell inserts and placed above human neuronal cells. Using this system, we show that YFV FNV cross the BBB more efficiently than YFV 17D, suggesting that YFV FNV is more neuroinvasive than YFV 17D. This observation can explain the higher post-vaccine encephalitis risks associated with YFV FNV vaccine compared to YFV 17D vaccine. We also confirmed that JEV SA14-14-2 vaccine strain is less neuroinvasive than JEV RP9.We also examined how JEV crosses the BBB and the endothelial cell response following JEV treatment. We show that both JEV RP9 and SA14-14-2 are able to cross the BBB without infecting its endothelial cells and without disrupting the BBB. Preliminary results suggest that JEV RP9, but not JEV SA14-14-2, crosses the BBB by dynamin-dependant transcytosis. Transcriptomic analysis of endothelial cells treated by either virus show slight, but significant, differences in regulation of genes implicated in several pathways associated with CNS diseases.

No description available.

No / Microglial activation and behavioral abnormalities occur before neuronal loss in experimental murine prion disease; the behavioral changes coincide with a reduction in synaptic plasticity. Because synaptic plasticity depends on an intact perineuronal net (PN), a specialized extracellular matrix that surrounds parvalbumin (PV)-positive GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) inhibitory interneurons, we investigated the temporal relationships between microglial activation and loss of PN and PV-positive neurons in ME7 murine prion disease. Anesthetized C57Bl/6J mice received bilateral intracerebral microinjections of ME7-infected or normal brain homogenate into the dorsal hippocampus. Microglial activation, PrP accumulation, the number of PV-positive interneurons, and Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive neurons (i.e. those with an intact PN) were assessed in the ventral CA1 and subiculum at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks postinjection. Hippocampal areas and total neuron numbers in the ventral CA1 and subiculum were also determined. Loss of PN coincided with early microglial activation and with a reduction in synaptic plasticity. No significant loss of PV-positive interneurons was observed. Our findings suggest that the substrate of the earliest synaptic and behavioral abnormalities in murine prion disease may be inflammatory microglia-mediated degradation of the PN.

Les arboviroses représentent un fardeau sanitaire considérable et croissant à l’échelle mondiale. La complexité des facteurs biotiques et abiotiques qui interviennent dans la transmission de ces arbovirus pose un défi de taille aux scientifiques qui tentent de comprendre, de modéliser ou d’anticiper leur transmission ainsi qu’aux intervenants de santé publique qui ont la responsabilité de surveiller, d’évaluer et gérer le risque que posent les arbovirus pour la santé des populations. Cette étude visait à estimer et caractériser le risque d’exposition à plusieurs arbovirus suspectés d’être actifs et émergents au Québec mais dont la distribution avait peu ou n’avait pas été étudiée au Québec : le virus du Nil occidental (VNO), le virus de l’encéphalite équine de l’est (VEEE) et deux virus du sérogroupe de la Californie (VSGC), le virus de Jamestown Canyon (VJC) et le virus du lièvre d’Amérique (VLA). Basée notamment sur l’hypothèse selon laquelle les animaux d’espèces différentes qui partagent un environnement commun partagent également un risque environnemental commun, cette étude visait également à évaluer si les populations d’animaux de compagnie pouvaient aider à estimer et caractériser le risque d’infection arbovirale chez l’humain. L’échantillonnage sérologique de populations humaines, canines et équines du sud-ouest du Québec a permis d’évaluer et de comparer la séroprévalence aux arbovirus étudiés chez chacune de ces trois espèces. Les estimations de séroprévalence ont révélé un niveau d’activité arbovirale significative pour chacun des arbovirus. Des différences ont été remarquées quant au pourcentage de sujets séropositifs chez chacune des espèces. Les facteurs environnementaux ayant une influence sur le risque d’infection par le VEEE ont été modélisés à partir de données sérologiques et cliniques chez les chevaux. Les milieux humides boisés ont été identifiés comme les principaux environnements à risque pour le VEEE au Québec alors que les zones agricoles ont été identifiées comme des environnements protecteurs. Les facteurs environnementaux ayant un impact sur le risque d’infection par le VNO ont été modélisés à partir des données sérologiques chez le chien et des données cliniques agrégées chez l’humain. Cette modélisation a suggéré un risque singulièrement plus élevé en zone agricole chez le chien et un risque plus faible en zone forestière chez l’humain, des facteurs rarement identifiés dans la littérature Nord-Américaine. Les facteurs environnementaux et individuels ayant un impact sur le risque d’infection par les VSGC chez l’humain et le chien ont par la suite été modélisés à partir des données sérologiques chez ces deux espèces. D’après nos modèles, le risque d’infection par ces virus serait supérieur en zone forestière et le degré d’exposition aux piqures de moustiques serait un facteur déterminant du risque d’infection chez les deux espèces. Cette étude a permis de bonifier de façon substantielle le portrait de l’activité arbovirale au Québec. Elle a permis de caractériser la distribution du risque et a fourni des données probantes pouvant soutenir la recherche ainsi que la planification des interventions en santé publique. La méthodologie utilisée dans le cadre de cette étude supporte la pertinence de l’approche « One Health » pour l’étude des maladies vectorielles émergentes. / Arboviral infections represent a considerable and growing health burden globally. The complexity of biotic and abiotic factors involved in the transmission of these arboviruses pose a challenge to scientists trying to understand, model or anticipate arboviral transmission as well as to public health authorities who have the responsibility to monitor, assess and manage the public health risk posed by arboviruses. This study aimed at estimating and characterizing the risk of exposure to several arboviruses suspected of being active and emerging in Québec but whose distribution had not been studied thoroughly in Québec: West Nile virus (WNV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and two viruses of the California serogroup (CSG), Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) and Snowshoe hare virus (SHV). Based on the assumption that animals of different species sharing a common environment also share similar environmental risk, this study also aimed to assess whether some populations of domestic animals could help to estimate and characterize the risk of arboviral infection in humans. Serological sampling of human, canine and equine populations from southwestern Québec was used to evaluate and compare the seroprevalence to the selected arboviruses in each of these three species. Seroprevalence estimates showed a significant level of arboviral activity for all arboviruses. Differences were noted in the percentage of seropositive individuals in each species. Environmental factors that influence the risk of infection by EEEV were modeled based on serological and clinical data in horses. Wooded wetlands were identified as the main risk environments for EEEV in Québec while agricultural areas were identified as protective environments. Environmental factors affecting the risk of WNV infection were modeled based on serological data in dogs and aggregated clinical data in humans. These models suggested a higher risk in agricultural areas in dogs and a lower risk in forest areas in humans, two factors rarely identified in the North American literature. Environmental and individual factors affecting the risk of infection by CSGV in humans and dogs have subsequently been modeled based on serological data in these two species. According to our models, the risk of infection with these viruses would be higher in forested areas and the degree of exposure to mosquito bites would be a risk factor for infection in both species. This study substantially enhanced the comprehension of arboviral activity in Québec. It allowed for characterizing the distribution of risk and provided evidence that may support research and planning of public health interventions. The methodology used in this study supports the relevance of the "One Health" approach for the study of emerging vector-borne diseases.

of thesis Diagnostics of neuroinfection caused by human herpesviruses using nucleic acid amplification methods author: MUDr. Klára Labská supervisor: doc. MUDr. Vilma Marešová, CSc. In recent years, the diagnosis of neuroinfections has undergone a shift towards molecular biology methods. Our research focused on the predictive value of the capture of herpesvirus (HV) DNA in cerebrospinal fluid. In the first study, we examined the presence of DNA neurotropic herpes viruses (HSV1, HSV2, VZV and HHV6) in cerebrospinal fluid in immunocompetent patients with laboratory-confirmed tick-borne meningoencephalitis and enterovirus meningitis and meningoencephalitis. The control group consisted of patients with proven absence of an inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid. Patients were followed for 6 months. The course of the disease and its consequences, including laboratory tests, were compared between groups of patients with and without the presence of HV DNA. In the second study, we tried to demonstrate the presence of HSV1 DNA in cerebrospinal fluid during its symptomatic reactivation in patients with purulent meningitis. In our group of immunocompetent patients with non-purulent inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid, the proportion of HV DNA positive patients reached 7.5% (13 out of 173), we also...

La sclérose en plaques (SP) est une maladie neuro-inflammatoire caractérisée par l’invasion de cellules immunitaires périphériques dans le système nerveux central (SNC), entraînant une perte de myéline à des endroits bien délimités appelés « plaques » ou lésions. Les processus neuroinflammatoires sont associés au dommage des neurones et oligodendrocytes (OLs) en SP. Les mécanismes sous-tendant cette dégradation des OLs par les cellules immunitaires en SP sont toutefois encore mal compris. Les lymphocytes T CD4 activés, notamment les sous-types proinflammatoires Th1 et Th17, jouent un rôle clé dans la pathobiologie de la SP et de son modèle murin l’encéphalite auto-immune expérimentale (EAE). Nous avons donc choisi d’investiguer leur contribution à l’endommagement des OLs en neuroinflammation. Pour ce faire, nous avons premièrement caractérisé les interactions entre les lymphocytes Th17 et les OLs matures in vivo à l’aide de l’imagerie intravitale chez la souris EAE (microscopie deux photons) et in vitro en utilisant des cultures primaires humaines. Ceci nous a permis de mettre en évidence que les lymphocytes pro-inflammatoires Th17 adhèrent de façon prolongée aux OLs et leur causent plus de dommage que les lymphocytes anti-inflammatoires Th2. Après avoir établi que le contact avec les lymphocytes Th17 entraîne tout d’abord la perte des prolongements cellulaires puis la mort des OLs, nous avons identifié deux mécanismes à l’origine de ces dommages. En effet, tandis que la sécrétion de glutamate par les lymphocytes Th17 à proximité des OLs entraîne une perte des prolongements cellulaires de ces derniers et une diminution de leur capacité à myéliniser, la sécrétion de granzyme B mène à la mort des OLs. Dans le but de comprendre comment prévenir les dommages causés par les lymphocytes Th17 aux OLs en SP, nous avons par la suite étudié les mécanismes sous-tendant le contact entre les deux types cellulaires. Comme nous avons confirmé que les OLs matures n’expriment pas le MHC II au niveau protéique, nous avons caractérisé l’expression par les OLs de molécules d’adhérence cellulaire (CAMs) qui seraient susceptibles de sous-tendre l’adhérence des lymphocytes Th17. Nous avons découvert que cette interaction est notamment médiée par ALCAM, et que bloquer cette molécule permet de diminuer le dommage aux OLs médié par les Th17 in vitro. A l’inverse, l’expression et/ou la sécrétion d’ICAM-1 par les OLs semble avoir un effet protecteur face aux lymphocytes Th17. En résumé, nous avons distingué de nouveaux mécanismes impliqués dans le dommage aux OLs en neuroinflammation et identifié de nouvelles cibles thérapeutiques prometteuses pour la protection des OLs en SP. / Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disease characterized by infiltration of immune cells into the central nervous system (CNS), demyelination in multifocal areas called “plaques” or lesions, and damage to neurons and oligodendrocytes (OLs). The mechanisms underlying immune-mediated injury to OLs in MS remains only partially understood. Activated CD4 T cells, in particular pro-inflammatory subsets Th1 and Th17, play an important role in the pathobiology of MS and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE). We set out to investigate their contribution to immune-mediated oligodendrocytic damage in neuroinflammation. We first characterized the interactions between Th17 cells and mature OLs in vivo using live imaging of EAE mice (two photon microscopy) and in vitro using human primary cell cultures. We found that pro-inflammatory Th17 cells form prolonged contacts with OLs and cause greater harm compared to anti-inflammatory Th2 cells. After demonstrating that contact with Th17 cells leads first to destruction of cell processes and then death of OLs, we identified two mechanisms underlying these deleterious impacts. Indeed, while secretion of glutamate by Th17 cells in contact with OLs is associated with damage to OLs cell processes and impairment of their myelinating capacity, secretion of granzyme B leads to OLs death. To better understand how to prevent Th17-mediated OLs injury in MS, we next studied mechanisms involved in the interaction between these two cell types. As we confirmed that mature OLs do not express MHC II at the protein level, we characterized expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) by OLs that could mediate Th17 cell adhesion. We discovered that ALCAM contributes to OLs and Th17 cells interactions, and that blocking this olecule reduces Th17-mediated OL damage in vitro. Inversely, ICAM-1 expression and/or secretion by OLs seems to have a protective effect in neuroinflammatory conditions. In summary, we have uncovered new mechanisms implicated in OLs njury in neuroinflammation and have identified potential novel therapeutic targets for neuroprotection in MS.

No / Recent studies have revealed extensive cortical demyelination in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Demyelination in gray matter lesions is associated with activation of microglia. Macrophages and microglia are known to express myeloperoxidase (MPO) and generate reactive oxygen species during myelin phagocytosis in the white matter. In the present study we examined the extent of microglial activation in the cerebral cortex and the relationship of microglial activation and MPO activity to cortical demyelination. Twenty-one cases of neuropathologically confirmed multiple sclerosis, with 34 cortical lesions, were used to assess microglial activation. HLA-DR immunolabeling of activated microglia was significantly higher in demyelinated MS cortex than control cortex and, within the MS cohort, was significantly greater within cortical lesions than in matched non-demyelinated areas of cortex. In homogenates of MS cortex, cortical demyelination was associated with significantly elevated MPO activity. Immunohistochemistry revealed MPO in CD68-positive microglia within cortical plaques, particularly toward the edge of the plaques, but not in microglia in adjacent non-demyelinated cortex. Cortical demyelination in MS is associated with increased activity of MPO, which is expressed by a CD68-positive subset of activated microglia, suggesting that microglial production of reactive oxygen species is likely to be involved in cortical demyelination.