Competitive PCR quantification of CD4, CD8, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MHC class II mRNA in the central nervous system during development and resolution of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

We used competitive polymerase chain reaction to quantify messenger RNA for the lymphocyte antigens CD4 and CD8, the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, and the MHC class II I-A molecule in the spinal cords of SJL/J mice at multiple times during the development and resolution of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). CD4 and CD8 were not quantifiable at baseline, became detectable at 5 days after immunization, and increased steadily to a peak during clinical disease. I-A increased after CD4 and CD8, but before onset of disease. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 did not increase until after onset of clinical disease. CD4, CD8, and I-A remained elevated long after recovery from disease. These results suggest that infiltration of CD4 and CD8 cells into the spinal cord and subsequent upregulation of I-A mRNA play an important role in the development of EAE, but reversal of these processes is not necessary for recovery. Upregulation of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 mRNA does not appear to be important for development of disease.