Central memory CD4+ T cells dominate the normal cerebrospinal fluid.
BACKGROUND
To use cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immune phenotyping as a diagnostic and research tool, we have set out to establish reference values of white blood cell (WBC) subsets in CSF.


METHODS
We assessed the absolute numbers and percentages of WBC subsets by 6-color flow cytometry in paired CSF and blood samples of 84 individuals without neurological disease who underwent spinal anaesthesia for surgery. Leukocyte (i.e., lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes), lymphocyte (i.e., T [CD4(+) and CD8(+) ], NK, NKT and B cells), T cell (i.e., naïve, central memory, effector memory, and regulatory) and dendritic cell subsets (i.e., myeloid and plasmacytoid) were studied.


RESULTS
CSF showed a predominance of T cells, while granulocytes, B and NK cells were relatively rare compared to blood. The majority of T cells in CSF consisted of CD4(+) T cells (∼70%), most of them (∼90%) with a central memory phenotype, while B cells were almost absent (<1%). Among the small population of dendritic cells in CSF, those of the myeloid subtype were more frequent than plasmacytoid dendritic cells (medians: 1.7% and 0.4% of leukocytes, respectively), whilst both subsets made up 0.2% of leukocytes in blood.


CONCLUSIONS
This study reports reference values of absolute numbers and percentages of WBC subsets in CSF, which are essential for further investigation of the immunopathogenesis of neuro-inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, the relative abundance of CD4(+) T cells, mainly with a central memory phenotype, and the presence of dendritic cells in CSF suggests an active adaptive immune response under normal conditions in the central nervous system (CNS).
de Graaf
Marieke T
MT
Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, s-Gravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Smitt
Peter A E Sillevis
PA
Luitwieler
Ronald L
RL
van Velzen
Chris
C
van den Broek
Patricia D M
PD
Kraan
Jaco
J
Gratama
Jan W
JW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D022423:Myeloid Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015704:CD4 Antigens