Figure 5

T cells infiltration of the spinal cord following the initiation of NMO-like lesions in NMO-IgG seropositive animals by T cells with different CNS antigen-specificities. (A-F) T cells specific for MBP (A,B), S100β (C,D) and MOG (E,F) were used to induce CNS inflammation, followed by transfer of NMO-IgG 4 days later. The animals were sacrificed 5 days after T cell transfer. For histological evaluation, their spinal cords were reacted with anti-CD3 antibodies (brown reaction product) and counterstained with hematoxylin to reveal nuclei (blue). bars = 500 μm (A,C,E) and 100 μm (B,D,F). (G) The average number of T cells per mm² of lesions was determined by evaluating 5 representative spinal cord cross sections (1 cervical, 2 thoracal, 2 lumbar cross sections) per animal, using 5 animals (MBP- and MOG-specific T cells) or 4 animals (S100β-specific T cells) per group. Asterisks indicate statistically significant (p < 0,05) differences between individual CNS antigen specificities of the T cells used to induce CNS inflammation (Kruskal-Wallis followed by Mann–Whitney U test and Bonferroni-Holm correction; p = 0,0476 for MBP/S100β and S100β/MOG, p = 0.858 for MBP/MOG). (H) Numbers of ED1⁺ cells (activated microglia/macrophages) in spinal cord cross sections. The cell numbers were determined by evaluating one complete spinal cord cross section per animal, using 5 animals (MBP- and MOG-specific T cells) or 4 animals (S100β-specific T cells) per group. Asterisks indicate statistically significant (p < 0,05) differences between individual CNS antigen specificities of the T cells used to induce CNS inflammation (Kruskal-Wallis followed by Mann–Whitney U test and Bonferroni-Holm correction; p = 0,048 for MBP/S100β, p = 0,024 for MBP/MOG, and p = 0,189 for S100β/MOG).