Association between peripheral blood T cell subsets and clinical disability in multiple sclerosis patients
Penju Liu1, Wei Liu2, Xiaoting Zhang3
1Department of Neurology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Neurology
|August 4, 2026
Summary
The CD4+/CD8+ ratio in peripheral blood was negatively associated with clinical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This T cell subset ratio may serve as a potential biomarker for MS disability progression.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Immunogenetics
- Clinical Neurology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated neurological disorder.
- The interplay between T cell subsets and clinical disability in MS is not fully understood.
- Characterizing peripheral T cell subsets may offer insights into MS pathogenesis and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between peripheral blood T cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio) and clinical disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale - EDSS) in MS patients.
- To explore the potential influence of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on this association.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 48 MS patients.
- Flow cytometry was used to analyze peripheral blood T cell subsets.
- Spearman correlation and multivariable linear regression analyzed associations between T cell parameters and EDSS scores.
- Exploratory sensitivity analyses assessed the impact of DMT exposure.
Main Results:
- A negative correlation was observed between the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and EDSS scores (r = -0.345, p = 0.016).
- Stratified analysis revealed a progressive decrease in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio across increasing disability severity groups (p = 0.050).
- The association between CD4+/CD8+ ratio and EDSS was attenuated in multivariable models (β = -0.350, p = 0.084) and potentially influenced by DMT exposure.
Conclusions:
- The CD4+/CD8+ ratio demonstrates a negative association with clinical disability in MS.
- This T cell subset ratio may serve as an exploratory peripheral immune indicator for disability status in MS patients.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of T cell subsets and DMTs in MS disability.
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