title: Lymphocyte migration and multiple sclerosis: relation with disease course and therapy.
abstract: Lymphocyte migration into the central nervous system is a central event in lesion formation in multiple sclerosis. By using a fibronectin-coated membrane Boyden chamber assay, we observed that migration rates of immediately ex vivo lymphocytes from patients with relapsing-remitting, with or without concurrent clinical relapse, or with secondary progressive disease, were increased compared with healthy donors. Migration rates of lymphocytes from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients receiving either glatiramer acetate (Copaxone 20 mg daily) or interferon-beta1b (Betaseron 8 MIU, three times per week) were significantly reduced compared with untreated relapsing-remitting patients. In vitro treatment with interferon-beta1b (1,000 U/ml), but not glatiramer acetate (20 microg/ml), significantly reduced lymphocyte-migration rates, suggesting that the effects of these two therapeutic agents on migration result from different mechanisms of actions. Interferon-beta1b acts, at least in part, by a direct effect on this cell property, whereas glatiramer acetate effects are indirect.
authors.affiliation: Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Asmi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duquette
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Antel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors