Myelin
December 7, 2010 at 12:01pm
Myelin, the insulating sheath around all of our nerves, is damaged by an auto-immune reaction in stroke, spinal cord injury, neurovascular disease, dementia, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is a fact.
MS is not unique. The immune system has the same reaction in situations where there is oxidative stress.
Here's some of the research:
Long term immunologic consequences of experimental stroke and mucosal tolerance
Background
An inflammatory insult following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is associated with a predisposition to develop a deleterious autoimmune response to the brain antigen myelin basic protein (MBP)
Background
An inflammatory insult following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is associated with a predisposition to develop a deleterious autoimmune response to the brain antigen myelin basic protein (MBP)
The "autoimmune" reaction of t-cells in spinal cord injury ( SCI)
Previously, we demonstrated that CNS-reactive T cells are activated in SCI [29,30]. Other groups have shown activation of myelin basic protein (MBP)-reactive T cells after experimental and clinical nerve trauma [31,32]. Clinical studies that show increased frequencies of MBP-reactive T cells in SCI and stroke patients provide further evidence of an association between CNS trauma and the activation of CNS-autoreactive T cells.
Myelin basic protein antigens in carbon monoxide poisoning
We hypothesized that acute CO-mediated oxidative stress causes alterations in MBP and that immune responses to the modified protein precipitate delayed neurological dysfunction.
These findings provide insight into the pathophysiology of brain injury due to CO poisoning. Biochemical and immunological studies indicate that MBP undergoes charge and antigenic alterations. A causal relationship between lipid peroxidation and MBP modifications is supported by colocalization of MDA-adducts.
These findings provide insight into the pathophysiology of brain injury due to CO poisoning. Biochemical and immunological studies indicate that MBP undergoes charge and antigenic alterations. A causal relationship between lipid peroxidation and MBP modifications is supported by colocalization of MDA-adducts.
http://www.pnas.org/content/101/37/13660.full
In every single one of these instances, antigens (attackers) to myelin basic protein (MBP reactive t-cells) go after the myelin and destroy it. This is considered an "auto-immune" response.
But in stroke, vascular disease, spinal injury, dementia and CO poisoning, the real culprit, ischemia (injury due to low oxygen) and a break in the blood brain barrier is known.
-No one calls a stroke an "auto immune disease."
