Fc Receptors on Microglial Lipophages in Multiple Sclerosis

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Abstract
To the Editor: The mechanism of myelin breakdown in multiple sclerosis (MS) is still unknown. Recently, active demyelination has been observed in fibers in contact with microglial cells containing ultrastructurally normal myelin. This finding suggests that microglia may function as immune-directed, aggressive cells in active MS lesions.1 The presence of receptors for the Fc portion of IgG and of receptors for C3b (the activated component of C3) has been demonstrated on monocytes,2 whereas tissue macrophages lack C3b receptors when studied in tissue sections.3 We examined three brains from patients with MS, which contained both active demyelinating and previous plaques, for . . .