Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
6087694 Clinical Immunology 2013 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

Studies of the underlying immune mechanisms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children may shed light on the initial events of MS pathogenesis. We studied T cell responses to myelin peptides in 10 pediatric MS patients (PMS), 10 pediatric healthy controls (PHC), 10 adult MS patients (AMS) and 10 adult healthy controls (AHC). A significantly higher proportion of divided CD4 + T cell responses in response to myelin peptides by the CFSE assay in PMS compared to PHC at both concentrations of myelin peptide tested (t test, 95% CI, p = 0.0067 for MP1; p = 0.0086 for MP10), and between PMS and AMS (p = 0.0012 at 1 μg/mL of myelin peptides, p < 0.0001 at 10 μg/mL) was found. In addition, T cells with a central memory phenotype producing IL-17 were increased in PMS compared to PHC (p < 0.05). IL-7 levels in culture supernatants were elevated in PMS compared to PHC and AMS (t test < 0.01).

► T cell proliferation to myelin peptides is increased in MS children versus controls. ► T cell proliferation in pediatric MS is increased compared to adult MS. ► Th17 cells with a central memory phenotype were increased in children with MS.

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