Identification of new CNS-resident macrophage subpopulation molecular markers for the discrimination with murine systemic macrophages

A controversial issue in neurobiology concerns the respective functions of central nervous system (CNS)-resident macrophages and systemic infiltrating macrophages morphologically and phenotypically similar during most of CNS injury processes. In a previous work, we isolated sixteen mRNAs differentially expressed between two microglial EOC clones. By Studying their pattern of expression, we found that three of them were not expressed in peripheral macrophages, even after stimulation with IFN gamma, TNF alpha or IL10. These three molecules are physiologically expressed by marine adult microglia and Could be used to evaluate in vivo their discriminative potential toward CNS-infiltrating macrophages during inflammatory events. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.