Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

An Ex vivo Model of an Oligodendrocyte-directed T-Cell Attack in Acute Brain Slices
06:36

An Ex vivo Model of an Oligodendrocyte-directed T-Cell Attack in Acute Brain Slices

Published on: February 5, 2015

T-cell homeostasis in pediatric multiple sclerosis: old cells in young patients

Bettina Balint1, Jürgen Haas, Alexander Schwarz

  • 1Division of Molecular Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, DZL Junior Group "Airway Inflammation," Translational Lung Research Center, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Neurology
|August 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) patients show T-cell abnormalities similar to adults, indicating early thymic involution may contribute to disease. Immunomodulatory drugs helped normalize these T-cell changes in pediatric MS (pMS).

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Neuroimmunology
  • Pediatric Autoimmunity

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system.
  • Understanding T-cell homeostasis in pediatric MS (pMS) is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment.
  • Pediatric MS presents unique challenges in T-cell compartment development and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate early homeostatic and functional abnormalities in conventional (Tcon) and regulatory T cells (Treg) in pediatric MS patients.
  • To compare T-cell profiles in pMS with adult MS patients and age-matched controls.
  • To assess the impact of immunomodulatory treatments on T-cell alterations in pMS.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 30 pMS patients, 26 adult MS patients, and 67 controls.
  • Multicolor flow cytometry to analyze peripheral T-cell compartment composition.
  • Proliferation assays to assess regulatory T-cell (Treg) function.

Main Results:

  • pMS patients exhibited reduced naive T cells and recent thymic emigrants (RTE), with increased memory T cells, mirroring adult MS.
  • Dampened suppressive capacities of total Treg were observed in pMS patients.
  • These T-cell alterations were attenuated by immunomodulatory drug treatment, similar to adult MS.
  • Signs of early thymic involution were evident in pMS, with T-cell subset ratios resembling much older controls.

Conclusions:

  • Homeostatic T-cell changes in pMS are comparable to adult-onset MS.
  • Early thymic involution may play a role in the pathogenesis of pediatric MS.
  • Findings suggest intrinsic defects in thymic T-cell neogenesis could contribute to MS development.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Isolation and Transplantation of Different Aged Murine Thymic Grafts.05:47

Isolation and Transplantation of Different Aged Murine Thymic Grafts.

Published on: May 13, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response01:23

Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response

The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells01:19

Multipotency of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

The hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate and give rise to all blood and immune cells. HSCs are maintained in the quiescent stage until an external stimulus initiates their differentiation. The multipotent HSCs exist as two heterogeneous populations, long-term repopulating cells (LTRC) and short-term repopulating cells (STRC). The two HSC populations have different surface markers or receptors and are classified based on quiescence and long-term...
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection

T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction01:19

Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview