Persons with Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Have Decreased Natural Killer Cell and Increased Toll-Like Receptor/Inﬂammatory Gene Expression

JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA, 2018 · DOI: 10.1089/neu.2017.5519 · Published: August 1, 2018

Spinal Cord Injury Immunology Bioinformatics

Simple Explanation

Individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) experience increased rates of infection and inflammation. These immunological changes may hinder neurological recovery and contribute to medical complications. The study compared whole-blood gene expression in individuals with chronic SCI and uninjured individuals. It found a downregulation of natural killer cell genes and upregulation of the proinﬂammatory Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in SCI participants. The findings provide insights into the causes of immune dysfunction in individuals living with SCI, potentially leading to better understanding and treatments.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

31 chronic SCI, 26 uninjured

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
There is a marked downregulation of natural killer cell genes in individuals with chronic SCI.
2
There is an upregulation of the proinﬂammatory Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in individuals with chronic SCI.
3
Modular analysis revealed underexpression of modules related to many cell types, including NK cells, B cells, T cells, and platelets in SCI participants.

Research Summary

This study investigated gene expression in individuals with chronic SCI compared to uninjured individuals to understand immune dysfunction. The study identified differentially expressed genes related to immune function. The key findings included downregulation of natural killer cell genes and upregulation of the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in individuals with SCI, especially those with injuries rostral to T5. The study provides mechanistic insights into the immune alterations observed in chronic SCI, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for improving immune function and reducing infection susceptibility.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Targets

The identification of TLR signaling as a key pathway suggests potential therapeutic targets for controlling inflammation in persons with SCI.

Revisiting NK Cell Function

The downregulation of NK cell genes supports the importance of revisiting the functionality of NK cells in individuals with chronic SCI and their relevance to increased infection susceptibility.

Personalized Medicine

Understanding the gene expression changes related to injury level and severity could lead to more personalized treatment approaches for individuals with SCI.

Study Limitations

1
Age may be a confounding factor due to more participants >65 years in the SCI group.
2
The study cannot distinguish between lower gene expression in NK cells and a smaller number or percentage of NK cells.
3
Limited clinical data were available on events at the time of initial injury, potentially affecting results.

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