Induction of apoptosis of CD4+ T cells by immunomodulatory therapy of multiple sclerosis with glatiramer acetate.

Glatiramer acetate (GA), a mixture of synthetic polypeptides, has beneficial effects on the clinical course and the MRI-defined disease activity of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In MS, evidence has been provided that the apoptosis of disease-relevant T cells is dysregulated. In this study, we investigated the effect of GA on T cell apoptosis, T cell activation, and cytokine profile of lymphocytes derived from 19 relapsing-remitting MS patients during the first year of GA therapy.