Effects of Catecholamines on Th17 Cells in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective. To study the possibly associations between the clinical features of multiple sclerosis(MS) and quantitative and the qualitative properties of Th17 cells and the dopamine (DA) and serum noradrenaline (NA) concentrations in patients with MS. Materials and methods. Complex neurological and immunological investigations were carried out on 43 patients with remitting MS. All patients were underwent neurological investigations including assessment of levels of disability on the EDSS scale. Serum DA and NA concentrations were determined by immunoenzyme analysis. The proportions of circulating Th-17 cells were assessed by multicolor flow cytometry. The functional activity of Th17- and Th-1 cells was assessed in terms of IL-17 and γ-interferon production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with magnetic particles coated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies. Results. The proportion of Th-17 cells and cytokine production in the group of MS patients in exacerbation were significantly greater than in remission and in the control group, while the DA level was lower. NA levels in MS patients were identical in exacerbation and remission but were significantly lower than in the control group. Conclusions. These data suggest that catecholamines have an inhibitory effect on Th17 cells in MS. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.