TY - JOUR
T1 - T cell response to myelin basic protein before and after treatment with interferon beta in multiple sclerosis
AU - Ristori, Giovanni
AU - Montesperelli, Chiara
AU - Gasperini, Claudio
AU - Battistini, Luca
AU - Borsellino, Giovanna
AU - Buttinelli, Carla
AU - Cannoni, Stefania
AU - Perna, Alessia
AU - Pozzilli, Carlo
AU - Salvetti, Marco
PY - 1999/9/1
Y1 - 1999/9/1
N2 - Studies on the in vivo effects of interferon-β (IFNβ) therapy on autoreactive T cells have never been carried out in multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated the T cell response to myelin basic protein (MBP), before and after IFN-β therapy, raising MBP-specific T cell lines (TCL) from the peripheral blood of six MS patients with a satisfactory response to the treatment. IFNβ did not affect the relative frequency and epitope specificity of the TCL. After IFNβ therapy, the production of interleukin-4 was decreased in MBP-stimulated TCL while the secretion of interferon-γ was increased in unstimulated TCL. Interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α did not show significant variations. This finding supports recent suggestions about the complexity of the T helper 1/T helper 2 paradigm in MS and other organ-specific autoimmune diseases. In fact, the beneficial effects of IFNβ do not exclude an immunostimulatory action that may involve potentially autoreactive T cells. This has implications for future treatment options, including combination therapies.
AB - Studies on the in vivo effects of interferon-β (IFNβ) therapy on autoreactive T cells have never been carried out in multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated the T cell response to myelin basic protein (MBP), before and after IFN-β therapy, raising MBP-specific T cell lines (TCL) from the peripheral blood of six MS patients with a satisfactory response to the treatment. IFNβ did not affect the relative frequency and epitope specificity of the TCL. After IFNβ therapy, the production of interleukin-4 was decreased in MBP-stimulated TCL while the secretion of interferon-γ was increased in unstimulated TCL. Interleukin-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α did not show significant variations. This finding supports recent suggestions about the complexity of the T helper 1/T helper 2 paradigm in MS and other organ-specific autoimmune diseases. In fact, the beneficial effects of IFNβ do not exclude an immunostimulatory action that may involve potentially autoreactive T cells. This has implications for future treatment options, including combination therapies.
KW - Interferon beta
KW - Multiple sclerosis
KW - Myelin basic protein
KW - T lymphocytes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032877123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032877123&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0165-5728(99)00107-1
DO - 10.1016/S0165-5728(99)00107-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 10496181
AN - SCOPUS:0032877123
VL - 99
SP - 91
EP - 96
JO - Journal of Neuroimmunology
JF - Journal of Neuroimmunology
SN - 0165-5728
IS - 1
ER -