title: Association of circulating follicular helper T cells with disease course of NMO spectrum disorders.
abstract: While follicular helper T (Tfh) cells have been shown to be involved in many autoimmune diseases, the association of Tfh cells with the disease activity of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) remains unclear. In this study, the CD4(+)CXCR5(+)PD-1(+) Tfh cell population in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from NMOSD patients, age- and gender-matched healthy controls, and multiple sclerosis patients was compared by flow cytometry. The serum levels of IL-21, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α and IL-10 were analyzed by ELISA assays. We found that in NMOSD, the Tfh cell frequency is higher than that of healthy subjects and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. There are more Tfh cells in the relapsing stage than the remitting stage of NMOSD, thus demonstrating the close association of the Tfh cell population with disease activity. Methylprednisolone, which is used to control disease relapses, significantly decreased the proportion of Tfh cells in NMOSD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA.
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borazanci
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China; Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA.
authors.forename: Fu-Dong
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Electronic address: yaping.yan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008775:Methylprednisolone
keywords: IL-21; IL-6; NMOSD; Tfh cells