title: Tumour necrosis factor-alpha synthesis by cerebrospinal-fluid-derived T cell clones from patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: T cell clones derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were analysed for their ability to produce interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). The CSF-T clones were compared for their ability to produce cytokines with autologous peripheral T clones and with liver-infiltrating T cell clones from patients with chronic active hepatitis. IL-4 production was also compared with that by peripheral T clones derived from atopic patients. All the CSF-T clones (both CD4+ and CD8+) produced large amounts of IFN-gamma and particularly of TNF-alpha. These cytokines were synthesized in significantly larger amounts by CSF T clones than by reference clones. Moreover, they were capable of secreting IL-2, but not IL-4. We conclude that the CSF-CD4+ T clones could constitute a subset with functional properties similar to those of T helper 1 (Th1)inflammatory cells of the mouse; and that the large amounts of TNF produced by CSF T cell clones strongly suggest a significant role for this cytokine in MS immunopathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione Andrea Cesalpino, I Clinica Medica, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benvenuto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paroli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buttinelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barnaba
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fieschi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balsano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002999:Clone Cells; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha