title: CD95 expression and CD95-mediated apoptosis of T cells in multiple sclerosis. No differences from normal individuals and no relation to HLA-DR2.
abstract: CD95-mediated apoptosis is a potent endogenous pathway of T cell elimination that has been suggested to be altered in multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is associated with the HLA-DR2, Dw2, DQ6 HLA class II haplotype. We have previously reported that T cell lines from HLA-DR2-positive individuals show enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a cytokine homologous to CD95 ligand, in response to specific antigen. Here we have studied CD95 expression and susceptibility to CD95-mediated apoptosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and activated T cells of 20 healthy individuals and 20 MS patients, half of whom were HLA-DR2-positive. MS patients did not differ from healthy individuals in either parameter. There was also no difference in CD95 expression or CD95-mediated apoptosis when MS patients and healthy individuals were grouped and compared according to HLA-DR status. These data reveal no differential regulation of PBMC/T cell apoptosis induced by CD95 receptor ligation in MS and show no impact of HLA-DR2 status on PBMC/T cell susceptibility to the same apoptotic stimulus. However, to assess the contribution of T cell apoptosis to the pathogenesis of MS further studies on other details of the complex system leading to T cell apoptosis are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany. frauke.zipp@uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zipp
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dichgans
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Krammer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weller
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D015870:Gene Expression; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D019014:fas Receptor