Markers of activated T lymphocytes and T cell receptor gamma/delta+ in patients with multiple sclerosis.
We studied interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), alpha-tumor necrosis factor (alpha-TNF) and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of 18 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 10 subjects with other neurological diseases (OND). We also studied the cerebrospinal-fluid CD 69 expression, and T cells with T cell receptor (TcR) gamma/delta+. We found an increase of IFN-gamma (14.0 +/- 3.5 U/ml) and GM-CSF (8.0 +/- 3.4 pg/ml) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients compared to the OND group (p < 0.005 and p < 0.01, respectively). The frequency of detectable cerebrospinal-fluid and serum alpha-TNF was similar in patients with MS and with OND. The cerebrospinal-fluid CD69 expression in lymphocytes was significantly higher in MS patients (15.0 +/- 9.9%) than in the control group (3.7 +/- 6.2%; p < 0.005). Comparable serum levels of IFN-gamma and GM-CSF were detected in patients with MS and in OND subjects. No significant difference in the incidence of TcR gamma/delta+ in the cerebrospinal fluid was found between the two groups. These results indicate an activation of T lymphocytes and macrophages in patients with MS. Our data do not suggest a role for an increased incidence of TcR gamma/delta+. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that these T cells could be present at the plaque site of MS patients.
Perrella
O
O
D. Cotugno Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Carrieri
P B
PB
De Mercato
R
R
Buscaino
G A
GA
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor