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Time-course of interleukin-2 receptor expression in interferon beta-treated multiple sclerosis patients

Journal of Neuroimmunology, ISSN: 0165-5728, Vol: 84, Issue: 2, Page: 213-217
1998
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Article Description

The time-course of CD25 (the 55-kD/ α subunit of the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor) expression on CD4+ T lymphocytes, and serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptors (sIL-2R) and IL-2 were evaluated in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients treated with interferon beta-1b (IFN β 1b). Peripheral blood samples were collected before therapy (T0), and 1 (T1), 2 (T2), 3 (T3), 6 (T4), and 12 (T5) months after therapy initiation. While at T1 and T2, half the patients showed an increased number of circulating CD4+CD25+ lymphocytes and an up-regulation of CD25 expression, at T3 this T-cell subset was significantly reduced in all the patients. From T4 to T5, however, the progressive return to pretreatment values was observed. Serum sIL-2R levels were not significantly affected by IFN β 1b at any time point. IL-2 was detected in only a few patients at T0, and never at T1 to T5. The transient up-regulation of CD25+ expression that occurred in about 50% of the patients may explain the unchanged relapse rate observed during the first 2 to 3 months after starting IFN β 1b therapy. Our study demonstrates that IFN β 1b down-regulates CD25 expression in vivo. This effect, however, was observed only after 3 months of therapy, and was followed by the return to pretreatment values after 6 to 12 months. Taken all together, our findings suggest that IFN β 1b only transiently affects CD25 expression in vivo, and that this effect cannot account for the reported long-lasting beneficial action of IFN β 1b on RRMS.

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