Increased Percentage of CD8CD28 Regulatory T Cells With Fingolimod Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Fingolimod, an oral therapy for MS, decreases expression of membrane S1P1 receptors on CD4 memory cells, causing their retention and deactivation in lymph nodes. We determined fingolimod effects on the number and proportion of potentially CNS-damaging CD8CD28 cytolytic T lymphocyte cells (CTLs) and on MS-depleted and dysfunctional CD8CD28 anti-inflammatory suppressor/regulatory T cells (Treg) and on CD8 T-cell expression of the CD69 activation/lymph node retention protein in MS.

Methods: CD8, CD28, CD4, and CD69 expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured with flow cytometry.

Anti-CD20 therapy corrects a CD8 regulatory T cell deficit in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To determine the effect of long-term anti-CD20 B-cell-depleting treatment on regulatory T cell immune subsets that are subnormal in untreated MS patients.

Methods: 30 clinically stable MS patients, before and over 38 months of ocrelizumab treatment, were compared to 13 healthy controls, 29 therapy-naïve MS, 9 interferon-β-treated MS, 3 rituximab-treated MS, and 3 rituximab-treated patients with other autoimmune inflammatory diseases. CD8, CD28, CD4, and FOXP3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was quantitated with flow cytometry.