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. 2020 Aug 11;7(6):e870. doi: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000000870

Figure 1. IL-26 is increased in the serum and CSF of untreated patients with MS and is expressed by CNS-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Figure 1

(A) IL-26 protein levels in the serum of HDs (n = 6) and untreated patients with RRMS (MS, n = 9). (B) IL-26 protein levels in the CSF of persons with OND (n = 8) and untreated patients with MS (n = 10). (C) Relative expression of IL26 mRNA plotted against the relative expression of other T helper (TH)17-associated genes (IL17, IL22, Csf2, RORC, and MCAM) in ex vivo CD4+CD45RO+ T lymphocytes, TH1- and TH17-polarized lymphocytes (after 6 days in culture) from 5 to 18 patients with MS. mRNA expression is relative to 18S mRNA and was assessed by qPCR. (D) Autopsy-derived MS CNS material was stained with Luxol Fast Blue/H&E (LHE, left panel) to identify lesions (dashed line). Colocalization of IL-26 (red) with CD4+ cells (green) and TOPRO-3 (blue, nuclei) in MS lesions is shown (left panel). As a control, CNS material was stained with an isotype control and secondary antibody (red) or secondary antibody alone (green, right panel). Images shown are representative of immunostainings on CNS samples from 6 patients with MS (3 tissue blocks per patient). Scale bars: 25 μm. Data are presented as mean ± SEM (A and B). *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Statistical tests: Student 2-tailed t test (A and B) and Pearson correlation (C). HDs = healthy donors; IL = interleukin; mRNA = messenger RNA; OND = other neurologic disease controls; RRMS = relapsing-remitting MS.