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. 1993 Jan 1;90(1):114–117. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.1.114

Major histocompatibility complex genes have an increased brain expression after scrapie infection.

J Duguid 1, C Trzepacz 1
PMCID: PMC45610  PMID: 7678332

Abstract

We have examined the expression of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens and related genes in scrapie-infected hamster brain. Both the class I and the class II MHC genes as well as the class II-associated invariant chain were found to have an increased brain expression after scrapie infection. The increased expression of the class I complex was immunohistochemically localized primarily to neurons, though some astrocytes contained much smaller amounts of the class I complex. While there is no detectable immune response to scrapie infection, the possibility that increased MHC expression affords some defense against the scrapie agent is discussed.

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Selected References

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