Involvement of cytotoxic Eomes-expressing CD4 <sup>+</sup> T cells in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
Ben J. E. Raveney, Wakiro Sato, Daiki Takewaki, Chenyang Zhang, Tomomi Kanazawa, Youwei Lin, Tomoko Okamoto, M. Araki, Yukio Kimura, Noriko Sato, Terunori Sano, Yuko Saito, Shinji Oki, Takashi Yamamura
Abstract
Significance Multiple sclerosis (MS) can transition from a relapsing-remitting form (RRMS) into a chronic progressive form (secondary progressive MS, SPMS). SPMS pathogenesis remains poorly understood with diagnosis based entirely on retrospective clinical monitoring. We show that T helper cells expressing the transcription factor Eomes (Eomes + Th cells) were significantly increased in peripheral blood from SPMS patients versus healthy subjects or RRMS and other progressive MS patients. Moreover, Eomes + Th cells expressing granzyme B were found infiltrating brain tissues in SPMS autopsy samples, providing support for a pathogenic role. Analysis of clinical status on follow-up indicated the value of measuring Eomes + Th cells for SPMS diagnosis and prognostic monitoring. This study may contribute to future development of biomarker-assisted “precision medicine” for MS.