Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder directed against self antigens of the central nervous system. CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cell (T(reg)) mediated suppression is an essential mechanism of self-tolerance. We studied whether changes in the suppressive function of a mixture of CD25(high) and CD25(intemediate) expressing T(reg) cells in myelin basic protein (MBP)-induced proliferation occurred in untreated MS patients. Suppression of MBP-induced proliferation was observed in 13 out of 29 (45%) MS patients; this was significantly (p<0.05) less compared with 17 out of 19 (89%) healthy individuals. Relative T(reg) counts was significantly increased in MS patients (mean+/-S.D.; 20+/-8%) compared with healthy individuals (15+/-5%). These findings suggest that impaired T(reg) function may be involved in pathogenesis of MS.
MeSH terms
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Adult
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Aged
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / drug effects
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CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
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Cell Count
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Cell Proliferation / drug effects
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Cells, Cultured
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Female
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Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
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Forkhead Transcription Factors / immunology*
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Humans
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Immune Tolerance / immunology*
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Immunity, Cellular / drug effects
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Immunity, Cellular / immunology
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Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / immunology*
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Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
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Lymphocyte Activation / immunology
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Multiple Sclerosis / immunology*
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Multiple Sclerosis / physiopathology
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Myelin Basic Protein / immunology
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Myelin Basic Protein / pharmacology
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RNA, Messenger / drug effects
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RNA, Messenger / immunology
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RNA, Messenger / metabolism
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T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / drug effects
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T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology
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Up-Regulation / drug effects
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Up-Regulation / immunology
Substances
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FOXP3 protein, human
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Forkhead Transcription Factors
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Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
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Myelin Basic Protein
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RNA, Messenger