title: Circulating CCR7+ICOS+ Memory T Follicular Helper Cells in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is aimed at examining the potential roles of circulating memory T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The numbers of different subsets of circulating memory Tfh cells in 25 patients with relapsed MS before and after treatment as well as 14 healthy controls (HC) were examined by flow cytometry. The levels of plasma IL-21 in all patients and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-21 in some MS patients and controls with non-inflammatory neuronal diseases (NND) were measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with that in the HC, the numbers of circulating CD3+CD4+CXCR5+CD45RA-, ICOS+, CCR7+ and CCR7+ICOS+ memory Tfh cells and the levels of plasma IL-21 significantly increased in MS patients, but significantly decreased in the patients with complete remission (CR). The levels of CSF IL-21 were significantly higher in the MS patients than that in the NND patients. The numbers of CCR7+ICOS+ memory Tfh cells were positively correlated with the EDSS scores, the levels of plasma and CSF IL-21, IgG, MBP-Ab or MOG-Ab.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicated that circulating memory Tfh cells, especially CCR7+ICOS+ memory Tfh cells, may be associated with the relapse of MS and may serve as a new therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Xueli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Genetic Diagnosis Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Songchen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Caiyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Xinmei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Genetic Diagnosis Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China; Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yanfang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein / Q000097:blood*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D054400:Receptors, CCR7 / Q000097:blood*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: C515370:CCR7 protein, human; C556692:ICOS protein, human; D060889:Inducible T-Cell Co-Stimulator Protein; D007378:Interleukins; D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D000098546:Interleukin-21