Expression of Th1/Th2-Related Chemokine Receptors on Peripheral T Cells and Correlation with Clinical Disease Activity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Vol. 52, No. 3, 2004

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Original Paper

Expression of Th1/Th2-Related Chemokine Receptors on Peripheral T Cells and Correlation with Clinical Disease Activity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Hideto Nakajima^a, Kazuhiro Fukuda^a, Yoshimitsu Doi^a, Masakazu Sugino^a, Fumiharu Kimura^a, Toshiaki Hanafusa^a, Toshiyuki Ikemoto^b, Akira Shimizu^b

^aDivision of Neurology, First Department of Internal Medicine, and
^bDepartment of Central Laboratory, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki City, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Eur Neurol 2004;52:162-168 (DOI: 10.1159/000081856)

Key Words

Multiple sclerosis
Chemokine
Chemokine receptor
Th1
Th2

Abstract

Th1 cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease likely linked to an autoimmune process. We measured the levels of chemokines in serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples by ELISA, and also studied the expression of Th1-related CXCR3/CCR5 chemokine receptors and Th2-related CCR4/CCR3 chemokine receptors on blood cells from MS patients using three-color flow cytometry. The Bonferroni correction was used for the statistical analysis. The levels of CXCL10, CCL3, and CCL5 in the CSF samples for the MS groups were significantly higher than those for the control group. However, the levels of CCL2 in both the CSF and serum samples for the remission group were significantly higher than those for the active group. The percentage of CXCR3-expressing CD4+ T cells in patients with MS was significantly elevated compared with the healthy controls. Moreover, MS patients in an active phase showed a more increased CD4+CXCR3+/CD4+CCR4+ ratio than patients in a remission phase. The increased percentage of CD4+CXCR3+ cells in the blood was associated with relapses in MS. This study suggested that the CD4+CXCR3+/CD4+CCR4+ ratio could be a sensitive maker of immune dysfunction in MS.

Author Contacts

Hideto Nakajima, MD
Division of Neurology, First Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College
2-7 Daigakumachi
Takatsuki City, Osaka 569-8686 (Japan)
Tel. +81 72 683 1221, Fax +81 72 683 1801, E-Mail in1045@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp

Article Information

Received: January 13, 2004
Accepted: August 31, 2004
Published online: November 2, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 0, Number of References : 19

Medline Abstract (ID 15528917)

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