Pathology Commons^™

Erythrocytes In Multiple Sclerosis – Forgotten Contributors To The Pathophysiology?, Kira Groen, Katherine A. Sanders, Rodney J. Scott, Lotti Tajouri, Jeannette Lechner-Scott

Lotti Tajouri

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by lymphocytic infiltration of the central nervous system and subsequent destruction of myelin and axons. On the background of a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity, environmental triggers are assumed to initiate the disease. The majority of MS research has focused on the pathological involvement of lymphocytes and other immune cells, yet a paucity of attention has been given to erythrocytes, which may play an important role in MS pathology. The following review briefly summarises how erythrocytes may contribute to MS pathology through impaired antioxidant capacity and altered haemorheological features. The effect of disease-modifying …