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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Isolation and Characterization of the Immune Cells from Micro-dissected Mouse Choroid Plexuses
Published on: February 3, 2022
Choroid plexus morphological and microstructural changes across inflammatory phenotypes in multiple sclerosis
Marina Mastantuono1, Alessandro Cagol2, Mario Ocampo-Pineda3
1Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Allschwil, Switzerland; Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Departments of Neurology, Clinical Research and Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel (RC2NB), University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Neurology Section, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Choroid plexus (CP) enlargement is seen in all multiple sclerosis (MS) phases. In active MS, CP volume grows over time, linked to brain atrophy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Choroid plexus (CP) involvement in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology is increasingly recognized.
- However, phase-specific associations with inflammatory activity and longitudinal changes remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize CP alterations in MS using volumetric and quantitative MRI.
- To explore associations between CP changes, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional and 2-year longitudinal MRI data from 101 active relapsing MS (RMS), 83 inactive progressive MS (PMS) patients, and 100 controls.
- Stratified analysis based on prior year inflammatory activity.
- Assessed CP volume, T1, and magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat), validated in a second cohort.
Main Results:
- Increased CP volume in active RMS and inactive PMS, associated with reduced brain volumes.
- Longitudinal CP volume increase observed exclusively in active RMS, linked to thalamic atrophy.
- CP MTsat correlated with cortical and paramagnetic rim lesions in inactive PMS.
Conclusions:
- CP enlargement is a consistent finding across all MS phases.
- Longitudinal CP expansion is specific to active inflammatory MS and associated with neurodegeneration.
