Claes N, Dhaeze T, Fraussen J, Broux B, Van Wijmeersch B, Stinissen P, Hupperts R, Hellings N, Somers V. Compositional changes of B and T cell subtypes during fingolimod treatment in multiple sclerosis patients: a 12-month follow-up study.
PLoS One 2014;
9:e111115. [PMID:
25360562 PMCID:
PMC4215872 DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0111115]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objective
The long term effects of fingolimod, an oral treatment for relapsing-remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS), on blood circulating B and T cell subtypes in MS patients are not completely understood. This study describes for the first time the longitudinal effects of fingolimod treatment on B and T cell subtypes. Furthermore, expression of surface molecules involved in antigen presentation and costimulation during fingolimod treatment are assessed in MS patients in a 12 month follow-up study.
Methods
Using flow cytometry, B and T cell subtypes, and their expression of antigen presentation, costimulation and migration markers were measured during a 12 month follow-up in the peripheral blood of MS patients. Data of fingolimod-treated MS patients (n = 49) were compared to those from treatment-naive (n = 47) and interferon-treated (n = 27) MS patients.
Results
In the B cell population, we observed a decrease in the proportion of non class-switched and class-switched memory B cells (p<0.001), both implicated in MS pathogenesis, while the proportion of naive B cells was increased during fingolimod treatment in the peripheral blood (PB) of MS patients (p<0.05). The remaining T cell population, in contrast, showed elevated proportions of memory conventional and regulatory T cells (p<0.01) and declined proportions of naive conventional and regulatory cells (p<0.05). These naive T cell subtypes are main drivers of MS pathogenesis. B cell expression of CD80 and CD86 and programmed death (PD) -1 expression on circulating follicular helper T cells was increased during fingolimod follow-up (p<0.05) pointing to a potentially compensatory mechanism of the remaining circulating lymphocyte subtypes that could provide additional help during normal immune responses.
Conclusions
MS patients treated with fingolimod showed a change in PB lymphocyte subtype proportions and expression of functional molecules on T and B cells, suggesting an association with the therapeutic efficacy of fingolimod.
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