Functional defects in peripheral blood T cells of multiple sclerosis patients. Diminished in vitro responsiveness in accessory cell dependent activation systems.
Function and phenotype of peripheral blood (PB) T cells in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were analyzed. In whole blood cultures, T cell proliferation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, using soluble CD3 mAb and CD2 mAb as stimulants, was reduced in comparison to healthy controls. A similar difference was seen when isolated PBMC were tested after stimulation with soluble CD3 mAb. However, in accessory cell-independent activation systems, i.e. after stimulation of PBMC with immobilized CD3 mAb or after co-stimulation with CD28 mAb, both patients and controls responded equally well. Phenotypical analysis of the circulating T cell population showed that there were no differences in the percentage of CD26+, 'memory' (CD45R0+) or 'effector' (CD4+CD45R0+CD27-) cells between MS patients and healthy controls. Finally, although MS patients did show an enhanced proportion of 'naive' (CD4+CD45RA+) T cells, this did not correlate with the observed functional defects.
Department of Clinical Viro-Immunology, Central Laboratory, The Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam.
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Rep
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Hintzen
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Polman
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van Lier
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D010641:Phenotype; D012016:Reference Values; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*