Pathogenesis of virus-induced immune-mediated demyelination

Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease has been extensively studied as an attractive infectious model for human multiple sclerosis. Virus-specific inflammatory Th1 cell responses followed by autoimmune responses to myelin antigens play a crucial role in the pathogenic processes leading to demyelination. Antibody and cytotoxic T cells (CTL) responses to virus appears to be primarily protective from demyelinating disease. Although the role of Th1 and CTL responses in the induction of demyelinating disease is controversial, assessment of cytokines produced locally in the central nervous system (CNS) during the course of disease and the effects of altered inflammatory cytokine levels strongly support the importance of Th1 responses in this virus-induced demyelinating disease. Induction of various chemokines and cytokines in different glial and antigen presenting cells upon viral infection appears to be an important initiation mechanism for inflammatory Th1 responses in the CNS. Coupled with the initial inflammatory responses, viral persistence in the CNS may be a critical factor for sustaining inflammatory responses and consequent immune-mediated demyelinating disease.