Mumps Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Mumps, including details on symptoms, vaccine, adult, causes.

CD28(-)CD57(+) T cells predominate in CD8 responses to glatiramer acetate.

Ratts RB, Lovett-Racke AE, Choy J, Northrop SC, Hussain RZ, Karandikar NJ, Racke MK

Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390-9036, USA.

Human T cells adopt a CD28(-)CD57(+) phenotype in chronic viral infections and this has been hypothesized to result from continuous stimulation, however this phenotype may be due to direct viral effects on T cells. Employing MS patients before and after chronic in vivo administration of the antigen glatiramer acetate (GA) we examine this hypothesis. Pre-treatment glatiramer acetate-specific CD8 T cells were CD57(-)Perforin(-). This changed to a predominantly CD28(-)CD57(+)Perforin(+) response after administration of this drug. This phenotype was only observed after chronic stimulation and not in a recall response to mumps. The relevance to GA's mechanism of action is discussed.

Published 5 September 2006 in J Neuroimmunol, 178(1): 117-29.
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