Digital pathology identifies associations between tissue inflammatory biomarkers and multiple sclerosis outcomes
File(s)cells-13-01020-v2.pdf (4.49 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a clinically heterogeneous disease underpinned by inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative processes, the extent of which varies between individuals and over the course of the disease. Recognising the clinicopathological features that most strongly associate with disease outcomes will inform future efforts at patient phenotyping. Aims: We used a digital pathology workflow, involving high-resolution image acquisition of immunostained slides and opensource software for quantification, to investigate the relationship between clinical and neuropathological features in an autopsy cohort of progressive MS. Methods: Sequential sections of frontal, cingulate and occipital cortex, thalamus, brain stem (pons) and cerebellum including dentate nucleus (n = 35 progressive MS, females = 28, males = 7; age died = 53.5 years; range 38–98 years) were immunostained for myelin (anti-MOG), neurons (anti-HuC/D) and microglia/macrophages (anti-HLA). The extent of demyelination, neurodegeneration, the presence of active and/or chronic active lesions and quantification of brain and leptomeningeal inflammation was captured by digital pathology. Results: Digital analysis of tissue sections revealed the variable extent of pathology that characterises progressive MS. Microglia/macrophage activation, if found at a higher level in a single block, was typically elevated across all sampled blocks. Compartmentalised (perivascular/leptomeningeal) inflammation was associated with age-related measures of disease severity and an earlier death. Conclusion: Digital pathology identified prognostically important clinicopathological correlations in MS. This methodology can be used to prioritise the principal pathological processes that need to be captured by future MS biomarkers.
Date Issued
2024-06-02
Date Acceptance
2024-05-29
Citation
Cells, 2024, 13 (12)
ISSN
2073-4409
Publisher
MDPI AG
Journal / Book Title
Cells
Volume
13
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38920650
PII: cells13121020
Subjects
ACTIVATION
Cell Biology
CORTICAL DEMYELINATION
digital pathology
DISABILITY
LESIONS
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
multiple sclerosis
prognostic
progression
PROGRESSION
Science & Technology
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Switzerland
Article Number
1020
Date Publish Online
2024-06-11