Analysis of immunoregulatory T-helper cell subsets in patients with multiple sclerosis:: relapsing-progressive course correlates with enhanced TH1, relapsing-remitting course with enhanced TH0 reactivity

In this study, we analysed the recall antigen-induced cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 31 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a relapsing-remitting (rr) and a relapsing-progressive (rp) course and from 40 healthy controls. Cells were stimulated with purified protein derivative (PPD; type I response) and tetanus toxoid (TT, type 2 response). Cytokines were determined in the supernatants by ELISA. One of the interesting findings was that healthy controls showed more frequently an IL-5 production after incubation with TT than MS-patients (68% vs. 37%; p < 0.01), while the type I reactivity was only slightly enhanced in MS patients as compared to the controls. However, within the MS patients, there was a significant difference in the incidence of the type I reactivity comparing patients with an rp and an rr course (60% vs. 24%; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the frequency of a type 0 profile (simultaneous PPD-induced IFN-gamma and TT-induced IL-5 production) was fourfold higher in rr than in the rp patients (43% vs. 10%, p < 0.05). In vitro analysis of cytokine profiles in MS could therefore be an interesting approach to evaluate the prognosis of MS (rr vs. rp) already at the beginning of the disease. Thus, it seems that the presence of a type 0 profile is a valid indicator for a favorable course, while a type I profile is rather associated with rp MS. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.