title: T cell subsets in multiple sclerosis: a serial study.
abstract: The relevance of abnormalities in the distribution of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets to the clinical manifestations of multiple sclerosis is not firmly established. A clinical and immunological follow-up of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients was performed in order to study the relationship of immune changes with the clinical course of the disease. Twenty patients were monitored monthly during a mean time of nine months for peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19), including the immunoregulatory subsets CD4CD29 (helper-inducer), and CD4CD25) by flow cytometry. A total of 14 untreated relapses was included. The most significant observations were a decrease in T suppressor-inducer CD4+ CD45RA+ subset during clinical relapses (P = 0.028) that was also detectable one month before (P = 0.020) and the lack of changes in CD4+ CD29+ and CD8+ T cells. In addition, variations in the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ activated T helper cells were not associated with clinical exacerbations. These results indicate the existence of a temporal association of immune changes in peripheral blood, but not activation, with the clinical manifestations of multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Ciutat Sanitària Universitària de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calopa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mestre
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arbizu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buendia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D012008:Recurrence; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2