The Role of Natural Interferon-producing cells in MS

• Published in: Nihon Rinsho Men'eki Gakkai Sokai Shorokushu Vol. 33; p. 69
• Main Authors: 山村, 隆, 荒浪, 利昌, 三宅, 幸子, 作石, かおり
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: 日本臨床免疫学会 2005; The Japan Society for Clinical Immunology
• Subjects: IPC; MS
• ISSN: 1880-3296
• DOI: 10.14906/jscisho.33.0.69.0

Little is known about the role of natural interferon-producing cells (IPCs), the precursor cells for plasmacytoid DCs, in autoimmunity. Here we examined the frequency of IPCs in peripheral blood mononuclea cells of MS patients and healthy subjects (HS) by using flow-cytometry. Of 64 MS patients investigated, 3 were presenting their first attack and later freshly diagnosed as MS, 7 were drug-free relapse-remitting type MS (RR-MS) in the active relapsing phase, 11 were IFNβ-treated RR-MS in remission phase, 32 were drug-free RR-MS in remission phase, and the rest were steroid-treated MS in either stable or active phase. Compared to HS, there was a significant decrease in the frequency of IPCs in drug-free patients during relapse, and IFNβ-treated patients in remission. In all three RR-MS patients whom we were able to follow their clinical course, IPCs frequency decreased during relapse and the number had returned in remission. Interestingly, IPCs number did not decrease in the patients in their initial attack, in contrast to the relapsing patients. This implies the role of IPC in active disease may differ between the initial onset of the disease and during the relapse.