[Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis as an animal model for multiple sclerosis]

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is an animal model for demyelinating autoimmune disease of central nervous system, whose clinical and pathological characteristics resemble those in human disease multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease followed by central nervous system demyelination, which is the result of an autoimmune process followed by central nervous system infiltration with autoreactive lymphocytes, activated macrophages and by local production of proinflammatory cytokines. Finally, the destruction of oligodendrocytes and myelin sheath occurs, caused by immunologic effector mechanisms. In this paper we reviewed fundamental and new facts about the most used models, induction, clinical and immunological characteristics of the experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in comparison with multiple sclerosis. Aethology and pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis are still unknown, but experiments on its animal models have improved our knowledge, not only about multiple sclerosis, but autoimmune diseases in general.