http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum
Quote:
Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Feb 1;61(3):273-8. Epub 2006 Sep 25.
Decreased numbers of regulatory T cells suggest impaired immune tolerance in children with tourette syndrome: a preliminary study.
* Kawikova I,
* Leckman JF,
* Kronig H,
* Katsovich L,
* Bessen DE,
* Ghebremichael M,
* Bothwell AL.
Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
BACKGROUND: Post-streptococcal autoimmune inflammation of basal ganglia was suggested to be an etiological factor in some cases of Tourette syndrome (TS). Since regulatory T (T reg) cells play a major role in preventing autoimmunity, we hypothesized that a defect in T reg cells may be present in children with TS. We also postulated that group A beta hemolytic streptococcal infections could promote autoimmune responses by releasing exotoxins (streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins [SPE]).
METHODS: We analyzed peripheral blood of TS patients and healthy age-matched control subjects by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) on multiple occasions and determined the numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD69(-) T reg cells. Further, we quantified the number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes with regard to Vbeta chains to which SPEs are known to bind.
RESULTS: A significant decrease in T reg cells was observed in patients with moderate to severe TS symptoms compared with healthy age-matched control children. A decrease in T reg cell number was also noted during symptom exacerbations in five out of six patients. Further, we found a significant decrease in numbers of CD8(+)Vbeta18(+) T cells in moderate to severe TS patients.
CONCLUSIONS: These data support our hypothesis that at least some TS patients may have a decreased capacity to inhibit autoreactive lymphocytes through a deficit in T reg cells. Interactions of host T cell immunity and microbial factors may also contribute to the pathogenesis of TS.
PMID: 16996487 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
|
doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.06.012