title: Increase of Ki-67+ natural killer cells in multiple sclerosis patients treated with interferon-β and interferon-β combined with low-dose oral steroids.
abstract: Interferon-β (IFN-β) is known to expand regulatory CD56(bright) natural killer (NK) cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). In this cross-sectional study we show that MS patients treated with IFN-β alone or in combination with low-dose prednisolone displayed increased proportion of all NK cell subsets in the active phase of the cell cycle (Ki-67+). There was no difference in NK cell apoptosis markers. In vitro experiments showed that both IFN-β and IFN-β in combination with corticosteroids increased the proportion of Ki-67(+) NK cells. This study, although limited, shows that treatment with IFN-β affects NK cell cycle without altering NK cell apoptosis in MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Neurology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom. lara.sanvito@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanvito
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chihara
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Youwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gran
authors.forename: Toshimasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aranami
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamura
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D016899:Interferon-beta; D011239:Prednisolone