More MS news articles for June 2003

Activated CD8+ T cells in secondary progressive MS secrete lymphotoxin

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/4/702

Neurology 2003;60:702-705
Guy J. Buckle, MD, Per Höllsberg, MD and David A. Hafler, MD
From the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

The authors compared the functional activation state and cytokine secretion profile of CD8+ T cells in patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive (SP) MS to those in normal controls.

In addition, they examined cytokine secretion in relationship to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of cytokine genes.

A significant increase in lymphotoxin secretion from anti-CD3-stimulated CD8+ T cells was observed in patients with SPMS as compared to normal controls.

The authors found no significant differences in SNP frequency or in secretion of other cytokines.