Interferon γ and interleukin 4 producing T cells in peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients undergoing immunomodulatory treatment
- 1Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, Foundation “Neurological Institute C Mondino,” University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- 2Division B, IRCCS, Foundation “Neurological Institute C Mondino”
- Correspondence to: Dr Diego Franciotta, Foundation “Neurological Institute C Mondino”, via Palestro 3, I-27100 Pavia, Italy; diego.franciotta{at}mondino.it
- Received 7 May 2002
- Accepted 12 September 2002
- Revised 10 September 2002
Abstract
Intracellular cytokine flow cytometry was used to analyse the percentages of interferon (IFN) γ and interleukin (IL)-4 producing T cells in the peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients, before and after immunomodulatory treatment, and of healthy controls. After six months of treatment, different doses of IFN β1a (Avonex or Rebif) decreased CD4+ (Th1, Th2) and CD8+ (Tc1) cells to a similar extent, without affecting the Th1/Th2 ratio. These T cell subsets were unmodified after nine months of glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) treatment, and after six day courses of high dose 6-methylprednisolone. The data suggest that IFN β1a produces sustained downmodulation of IFN γ and IL-4 producing T cells in vivo, which may contribute to its therapeutic efficacy; that glatiramer acetate possibly acts without altering non-specific cellular immunity; and that glucocorticoid induced lymphocytopenia does not affect the percentages of Th1, Th2, and Tc1 cells; at least in the periphery, none of the treatments caused a Th1 to Th2 shift that could account for their respective therapeutic effects.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: Two of the coauthors (RB and VC) have participated in clinical trials supported by the manufacturers of drugs mentioned in this paper.
