title: Effector and regulatory T cells in patients with acute optic neuritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Optic neuritis (ON) is an autoimmune acute demyelinating disease of the optic nerve and may occur in patients with confirmed multiple sclerosis (MS) or as a clinically isolated syndrome. T lymphocytes play a central role in the pathogenesis of MS. The phenotype of different T cell subsets is usually characterized by the expression of distinct cell surface receptors such as CD45RA, CD45RO, CCR7, CD27 and CD28. The aim of this study was to characterize the phenotype of distinct subsets of CD4 and CD8 T cells in patients with isolated ON.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets were characterized by flow cytometry in fresh peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples using the surface markers CD27, CD25, CD45RA, CD45RO and intracellular FOXP3. The T cell subsets expressed in patients with acute ON (n = 64; symptom onset of ON within the preceding 28 days) were compared to those of a gender- and age-matched healthy control (HC) group (n = 32).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both CD4+ and CD8+ naïve T cells in the ON group were significantly reduced in the CSF. In contrast, most of the intermediate-stage and late effector CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets as well as the CD4+ T regulatory cells were expressed in ON patients, though not at all in the CSF of the HC group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results add important evidence for inflammatory and regulatory activity in ON and early MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup, Denmark. ants@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsakiri
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kjærsgaard
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grigoriadis
authors.forename: Inge Marie
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Svane
authors.forename: Jette L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Frederiksen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult