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Disease exacerbation of multiple sclerosis is characterized by loss of terminally differentiated autoregulatory CD8+ T cells
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Disease exacerbation of multiple sclerosis is characterized by loss of terminally differentiated autoregulatory CD8+ T cells

Khrishen Cunnusamy, Ethan J Baughman, Jorge Franco, Sterling B Ortega, Sushmita Sinha, Parul Chaudhary, Benjamin M Greenberg, Elliot M Frohman and Nitin J Karandikar
Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.), Vol.152(1-2), pp.115-126
05/2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2014.03.005
PMCID: PMC4024444
PMID: 24657764
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clim.2014.03.005View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Although its etiology remains unknown, pathogenic T cells are thought to underlie MS immune pathology. We recently showed that MS patients harbor CNS-specific CD8+ Tregs that are deficient during disease relapse. We now demonstrate that CNS-specific CD8+ Tregs were cytolytic and could eliminate pathogenic CD4+ T cells. These CD8+ Tregs were present primarily in terminally differentiated (CD27−, CD45RO−) subset and their suppression was IFNγ, perforin and granzyme B-dependent. Interestingly, MS patients with acute relapse displayed a significant loss in terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells, with a concurrent loss in expression of perforin and granzyme B. Pre-treatment of exacerbation-derived CD8+ T cells with IL-12 significantly restored suppressive capability of these cells through upregulation of granzyme B. Our studies uncover immune-suppressive mechanisms of CNS-specific CD8+ Tregs, and may contribute to design of novel immune therapies for MS. •Neuroantigen-specific CD8+ T cells are terminally differentiated.•Neuroantigen-specific CD8 suppression is IFNγ, perforin and granzyme B-dependent.•Acute relapse in MS is associated with loss of terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells.•Suppressive potential of neuroantigen-specific CD8 cells can be restored with IL-12.
Regulatory Multiple sclerosis T cells IL-12 CD8

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