Cellular and Molecular Biological Assessments of Inflammation and Autoimmunity After Spinal Cord Injury

Inflammation and autoimmune responses after spinal cord injury (SCI) are complex processes involving sequential cellular and molecular changes in cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. In preclinical animal models of SCI and human SCI, immune responses have been implicated in the progression of both tissue injury and repair. Routine characterization of these changes includes analyses of intraspinal cytokines and chemokines, activation of glia, and the influx and activation of myeloid and lymphoid cells. In this chapter, a cursory overview is provided of cellular and molecular inflammation after SCI; however, the primary goal is to describe the most common and reliable qualitative and quantitative methods used to assess these changes. Through the use of these techniques, it may be possible to achieve a better understanding of how inflammation and autoimmunity affect outcome after SCI.