White matter lesions, C-reactive protein and microglia: A putative relation

Abstract

White matter lesions (WML) are a clinically significant, common feature of the ageing brain associated with cognitive decline and depression. Recent research has been focused on identifying parameters which may have a correlation with WML. To this effect the acute phase protein, C-reactive protein (CRP) was shown to have an increased plasma level with progressive WML in human studies. However, due to the limitations of humam-based research the expression of CRP from brain tissue demonstrating progressive WML over a given period has not been reported. Our results have shown elevated mRNA and protein expression of CRP from rat brain tissue manifesting features of WML. Moreover, we have demonstrated that microglia, cultured from rat brain, are a source of mRNA and protein expression of CRP. We suggest that this key novel relation could be a target for future therapeutic interventions in diseases where WML and microglial activity are prominent features.