Fig. 1

Immunostaining, microdissection, and cell type-specific gene expression of MS brain immune infiltrates. Brain sections were double stained with anti-CD20 and anti-CD8 antibodies to evaluate B cell and CD8+ T cell frequencies and distribution in meningeal immune infiltrates (a B cell follicle-like structure; b diffuse infiltrate) and WM perivascular immune infiltrates (c–e). Following rapid nuclear staining, individual immune infiltrates identified in subsequent consecutive brain sections were cut and catapulted from the surrounding tissue into an adhesive cap for RNA extraction. After reverse transcription, cDNA was preamplified for the indicated transcripts and analyzed by real-time PCR. For each microdissected immune infiltrate, the CD20+:CD8+ cell ratio and the CD20:CD8 RNA signal ratio are shown in the bar charts on the right. Bars = 100 μm