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Chrobak AA, Pańczyszyn-Trzewik P, Król P, Pawelec-Bąk M, Dudek D, Siwek M. New Light on Prions: Putative Role of PrP c in Pathophysiology of Mood Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2967. [PMID: 38474214 PMCID: PMC10932175 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders are highly prevalent and heterogenous mental illnesses with devastating rates of mortality and treatment resistance. The molecular basis of those conditions involves complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Currently, there are no objective procedures for diagnosis, prognosis and personalization of patients' treatment. There is an urgent need to search for novel molecular targets for biomarkers in mood disorders. Cellular prion protein (PrPc) is infamous for its potential to convert its insoluble form, leading to neurodegeneration in Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. Meanwhile, in its physiological state, PrPc presents neuroprotective features and regulates neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. The aim of this study is to integrate the available knowledge about molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of PrPc on the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Our review indicates an important role of this protein in regulation of cognitive functions, emotions, sleep and biological rhythms, and its deficiency results in depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment. PrPc plays a neuroprotective role against excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and inflammation, the main pathophysiological events in the course of mood disorders. Research indicates that PrPc may be a promising biomarker of cognitive decline. There is an urgent need of human studies to elucidate its potential utility in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Andrzej Chrobak
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 21A, 31-501 Kraków, Poland; (A.A.C.); (P.K.); (D.D.)
| | - Patrycja Pańczyszyn-Trzewik
- Department of Human Physiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Medical College of Rzeszow University, Kopisto 2a, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland;
| | - Patrycja Król
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 21A, 31-501 Kraków, Poland; (A.A.C.); (P.K.); (D.D.)
| | - Magdalena Pawelec-Bąk
- Department of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 21A, 31-501 Kraków, Poland;
| | - Dominika Dudek
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 21A, 31-501 Kraków, Poland; (A.A.C.); (P.K.); (D.D.)
| | - Marcin Siwek
- Department of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 21A, 31-501 Kraków, Poland;
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Janner DR, de Lima EV, da Silva RT, Clarke JR, Linden R. Dissociation of genotype-dependent cognitive and motor behavior in a strain of aging mice devoid of the prion protein. Behav Brain Res 2021; 411:113386. [PMID: 34052264 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The prion glycoprotein (PrPC) is highly expressed in the nervous system as well as in other organs. Its functional roles in behavior have been examined mainly in non co-isogenic, wild-type and PrPC-deficient mice, which showed both age- and genotype-dependent differences. In general, however, effects of genetic background upon behavioral tests are mostly unclear when applied to aging rodents. The present study aimed to determine the effect of deletion of the prion protein on behavior of isogenic mice across different ages. We disclosed a genotype-dependent behavioral dissociation between either motor or cognitive tests, as a function of both age and test type. Remarkably, we also detected a clear age- and genotype-dependent difference in the variability of performance in a cognitive test. The current findings are relevant for both the interpretation of PrPC-related behavior, as well as for issues of reproducibility in studies of rodent behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane R Janner
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, RJ, Brazil.
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Linden
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ, RJ, Brazil.
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3
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The Prion Protein Regulates Synaptic Transmission by Controlling the Expression of Proteins Key to Synaptic Vesicle Recycling and Exocytosis. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:3420-3436. [PMID: 30128651 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1293-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC), whose misfolded conformers are implicated in prion diseases, localizes to both the presynaptic membrane and postsynaptic density. To explore possible molecular contributions of PrPC to synaptic transmission, we utilized a mass spectrometry approach to quantify the release of glutamate from primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) expressing, or deprived of (PrP-KO), PrPC, following a depolarizing stimulus. Under the same conditions, we also tracked recycling of synaptic vesicles (SVs) in the two neuronal populations. We found that in PrP-KO CGN these processes decreased by 40 and 60%, respectively, compared to PrPC-expressing neurons. Unbiased quantitative mass spectrometry was then employed to compare the whole proteome of CGN with the two PrP genotypes. This approach allowed us to assess that, relative to the PrPC-expressing counterpart, the absence of PrPC modified the protein expression profile, including diminution of some components of SV recycling and fusion machinery. Subsequent quantitative RT-PCR closely reproduced proteomic data, indicating that PrPC is committed to ensuring optimal synaptic transmission by regulating genes involved in SV dynamics and neurotransmitter release. These novel molecular and cellular aspects of PrPC add insight into the underlying mechanisms for synaptic dysfunctions occurring in neurodegenerative disorders in which a compromised PrPC is likely to intervene.
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Peggion C, Bertoli A, Sorgato MC. Almost a century of prion protein(s): From pathology to physiology, and back to pathology. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 483:1148-1155. [PMID: 27581199 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.07.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Prions are one of the few pathogens whose name is renowned at all population levels, after the dramatic years pervaded by the fear of eating prion-infected food. If now this, somehow irrational, scare of bovine meat inexorably transmitting devastating brain disorders is largely subdued, several prion-related issues are still unsolved, precluding the design of therapeutic approaches that could slow, if not halt, prion diseases. One unsolved issue is, for example, the role of the prion protein (PrPC), whole conformational misfolding originates the prion but whose physiologic reason d'etre in neurons, and in cells at large, remains enigmatic. Preceded by a historical outline, the present review will discuss the functional pleiotropicity ascribed to PrPC, and whether this aspect could fall, at least in part, into a more concise framework. It will also be devoted to radically different perspectives for PrPC, which have been recently brought to the attention of the scientific world with unexpected force. Finally, it will discuss the possible reasons allowing an evolutionary conserved and benign protein, as PrPC is, to turn into a high affinity receptor for pathologic misfolded oligomers, and to transmit their toxic message into neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Peggion
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Bertoli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - M Catia Sorgato
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; C.N.R. Institute of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Via Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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5
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Massimino ML, Peggion C, Loro F, Stella R, Megighian A, Scorzeto M, Blaauw B, Toniolo L, Sorgato MC, Reggiani C, Bertoli A. Age-dependent neuromuscular impairment in prion protein knockout mice. Muscle Nerve 2015; 53:269-79. [DOI: 10.1002/mus.24708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Caterina Peggion
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Federica Loro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Roberto Stella
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Aram Megighian
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Michele Scorzeto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Bert Blaauw
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Luana Toniolo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Maria Catia Sorgato
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, University of Padova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Carlo Reggiani
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, University of Padova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertoli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Padova; Via U. Bassi 58/B 35131 Padova Italy
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Reiten MR, Bakkebø MK, Brun-Hansen H, Lewandowska-Sabat AM, Olsaker I, Tranulis MA, Espenes A, Boysen P. Hematological shift in goat kids naturally devoid of prion protein. Front Cell Dev Biol 2015. [PMID: 26217662 PMCID: PMC4495340 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2015.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The physiological role of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) is incompletely understood. The expression of PrPC in hematopoietic stem cells and immune cells suggests a role in the development of these cells, and in PrPC knockout animals altered immune cell proliferation and phagocytic function have been observed. Recently, a spontaneous nonsense mutation at codon 32 in the PRNP gene in goats of the Norwegian Dairy breed was discovered, rendering homozygous animals devoid of PrPC. Here we report hematological and immunological analyses of homozygous goat kids lacking PrPC (PRNPTer/Ter) compared to heterozygous (PRNP+/Ter) and normal (PRNP+/+) kids. Levels of cell surface PrPC and PRNP mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) correlated well and were very low in PRNPTer/Ter, intermediate in PRNP+/Ter and high in PRNP+/+ kids. The PRNPTer/Ter animals had a shift in blood cell composition with an elevated number of red blood cells (RBCs) and a tendency toward a smaller mean RBC volume (P = 0.08) and an increased number of neutrophils (P = 0.068), all values within the reference ranges. Morphological investigations of blood smears and bone marrow imprints did not reveal irregularities. Studies of relative composition of PBMCs, phagocytic ability of monocytes and T-cell proliferation revealed no significant differences between the genotypes. Our data suggest that PrPC has a role in bone marrow physiology and warrant further studies of PrPC in erythroid and immune cell progenitors as well as differentiated effector cells also under stressful conditions. Altogether, this genetically unmanipulated PrPC-free animal model represents a unique opportunity to unveil the enigmatic physiology and function of PrPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malin R Reiten
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Maren K Bakkebø
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Hege Brun-Hansen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna M Lewandowska-Sabat
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Olsaker
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Michael A Tranulis
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Arild Espenes
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
| | - Preben Boysen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Oslo, Norway
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Beckman D, Santos LE, Americo TA, Ledo JH, de Mello FG, Linden R. Prion Protein Modulates Monoaminergic Systems and Depressive-like Behavior in Mice. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:20488-98. [PMID: 26152722 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.666156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We sought to examine interactions of the prion protein (PrP(C)) with monoaminergic systems due to: the role of PrP(C) in both Prion and Alzheimer diseases, which include clinical depression among their symptoms, the implication of monoamines in depression, and the hypothesis that PrP(C) serves as a scaffold for signaling systems. To that effect we compared both behavior and monoaminergic markers in wild type (WT) and PrP(C)-null (PrP(-/-)) mice. PrP(-/-) mice performed poorly when compared with WT in forced swimming, tail suspension, and novelty suppressed feeding tests, typical of depressive-like behavior, but not in the control open field nor rotarod motor tests; cyclic AMP responses to stimulation of D1 receptors by dopamine was selectively impaired in PrP(-/-) mice, and responses to serotonin, but not to norepinephrine, also differed between genotypes. Contents of dopamine, tyrosine hydroxylase, and the 5-HT5A serotonin receptor were increased in the cerebral cortex of PrP(-/-), as compared with WT mice. Microscopic colocalization, as well as binding in overlay assays were found of PrP(C) with both the 5HT5A and D1, but not D4 receptors. The data are consistent with the scaffolding of monoaminergic signaling modules by PrP(C), and may help understand the pathogenesis of clinical depression and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jose H Ledo
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica da UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brasil
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Halliez S, Passet B, Martin-Lannerée S, Hernandez-Rapp J, Laude H, Mouillet-Richard S, Vilotte JL, Béringue V. To develop with or without the prion protein. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:58. [PMID: 25364763 PMCID: PMC4207017 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The deletion of the cellular form of the prion protein (PrPC) in mouse, goat, and cattle has no drastic phenotypic consequence. This stands in apparent contradiction with PrPC quasi-ubiquitous expression and conserved primary and tertiary structures in mammals, and its pivotal role in neurodegenerative diseases such as prion and Alzheimer's diseases. In zebrafish embryos, depletion of PrP ortholog leads to a severe loss-of-function phenotype. This raises the question of a potential role of PrPC in the development of all vertebrates. This view is further supported by the early expression of the PrPC encoding gene (Prnp) in many tissues of the mouse embryo, the transient disruption of a broad number of cellular pathways in early Prnp−/− mouse embryos, and a growing body of evidence for PrPC involvement in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in various types of mammalian stem cells and progenitors. Finally, several studies in both zebrafish embryos and in mammalian cells and tissues in formation support a role for PrPC in cell adhesion, extra-cellular matrix interactions and cytoskeleton. In this review, we summarize and compare the different models used to decipher PrPC functions at early developmental stages during embryo- and organo-genesis and discuss their relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Halliez
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Bruno Passet
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Séverine Martin-Lannerée
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Julia Hernandez-Rapp
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Hubert Laude
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sophie Mouillet-Richard
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR-S1124 Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR-S1124 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Vilotte
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Vincent Béringue
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, U892 Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires Jouy-en-Josas, France
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Abstract
The cellular prion protein (PrPC) has been widely investigated ever since its conformational isoform, the prion (or PrPSc), was identified as the etiological agent of prion disorders. The high homology shared by the PrPC-encoding gene among mammals, its high turnover rate and expression in every tissue strongly suggest that PrPC may possess key physiological functions. Therefore, defining PrPC roles, properties and fate in the physiology of mammalian cells would be fundamental to understand its pathological involvement in prion diseases. Since the incidence of these neurodegenerative disorders is enhanced in aging, understanding PrPC functions in this life phase may be of crucial importance. Indeed, a large body of evidence suggests that PrPC plays a neuroprotective and antioxidant role. Moreover, it has been suggested that PrPC is involved in Alzheimer disease, another neurodegenerative pathology that develops predominantly in the aging population. In prion diseases, PrPC function is likely lost upon protein aggregation occurring in the course of the disease. Additionally, the aging process may alter PrPC biochemical properties, thus influencing its propensity to convert into PrPSc. Both phenomena may contribute to the disease development and progression. In Alzheimer disease, PrPC has a controversial role because its presence seems to mediate β-amyloid toxicity, while its down-regulation correlates with neuronal death. The role of PrPC in aging has been investigated from different perspectives, often leading to contrasting results. The putative protein functions in aging have been studied in relation to memory, behavior and myelin maintenance. In aging mice, PrPC changes in subcellular localization and post-translational modifications have been explored in an attempt to relate them to different protein roles and propensity to convert into PrPSc. Here we provide an overview of the most relevant studies attempting to delineate PrPC functions and fate in aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Gasperini
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati Trieste, Italy
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Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Cross JV, Franco-Lira M, Aragón-Flores M, Kavanaugh M, Torres-Jardón R, Chao CK, Thompson C, Chang J, Zhu H, D'Angiulli A. Brain immune interactions and air pollution: macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF), prion cellular protein (PrP(C)), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in cerebrospinal fluid and MIF in serum differentiate urban children exposed to severe vs. low air pollution. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:183. [PMID: 24133408 PMCID: PMC3794301 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mexico City Metropolitan Area children chronically exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants exhibit an early brain imbalance in genes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, innate and adaptive immune responses along with accumulation of misfolded proteins observed in the early stages of Alzheimer and Parkinson's diseases. A complex modulation of serum cytokines and chemokines influences children's brain structural and gray/white matter volumetric responses to air pollution. The search for biomarkers associating systemic and CNS inflammation to brain growth and cognitive deficits in the short term and neurodegeneration in the long-term is our principal aim. We explored and compared a profile of cytokines, chemokines (Multiplexing LASER Bead Technology) and Cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in normal cerebro-spinal-fluid (CSF) of urban children with high vs. low air pollution exposures. PrP(C) and macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) were also measured in serum. Samples from 139 children ages 11.91 ± 4.2 years were measured. Highly exposed children exhibited significant increases in CSF MIF (p = 0.002), IL6 (p = 0.006), IL1ra (p = 0.014), IL-2 (p = 0.04), and PrP(C) (p = 0.039) vs. controls. MIF serum concentrations were higher in exposed children (p = 0.009). Our results suggest CSF as a MIF, IL6, IL1Ra, IL-2, and PrP(C) compartment that can possibly differentiate air pollution exposures in children. MIF, a key neuro-immune mediator, is a potential biomarker bridge to identify children with CNS inflammation. Fine tuning of immune-to-brain communication is crucial to neural networks appropriate functioning, thus the short and long term effects of systemic inflammation and dysregulated neural immune responses are of deep concern for millions of exposed children. Defining the linkage and the health consequences of the brain / immune system interactions in the developing brain chronically exposed to air pollutants ought to be of pressing importance for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, The Center for Structural and Functional Neurosciences, The University of Montana Missoula, MT, USA ; Hospital Central Militar, Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional Mexico City, Mexico
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