Intercrines in brain pathology. Expression of intercrines in a multiple sclerosis and Morbus Creutzfeldt-Jakob lesion.

Expression of cytokine genes regulating vascular permeability and chemoattraction was studies by polymerase chain reaction in RNA from two different types of brain lesions: a multiple sclerosis plaque and in tissue from a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. While cytokine genes encoding vascular permeability factor, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, or IL-10, generally associated with active inflammatory processes, were not expressed, we observed expression of some intercrine genes in both types of lesions. As these lesions share a common set of structural features such as prominent astrogliosis and glial cells are known producers of intercrines, we suggest that intercrines have a role in the formation of gliotic brain lesions.