Skewing of the EBV-specific CD8+ T-cell response in MS away from
lytic to latent antigens. (a) Median percentages of CD8+ T
cells within the different phenotypes producing IFN-γ in response to a pool
of HLA-class-I-restricted EBV latent peptides in EBV-seropositive healthy controls
(HC), the total group of MS patients (All MS), patients with clinically isolated
syndrome (CIS), patients with relapsing–remitting (RR), secondary
progressive (SP) and primary progressive (PP) MS, as well as patients during a
clinical attack (Attack) and during remission (Remission). As expected, there was
no CD4+ T-cell response to these HLA-class-I-restricted peptides.
(b) Percentages of latent-specific cells within the
CD8+, CD8+ EM, CD8+ EMRA,
CD8+ CM and CD8+ EM/EMRA T-cell populations
in patients with MS (MS) compared with healthy controls (HC) (medians with
interquartile ranges indicated by black horizontal lines), with bracketed
P-values determined by the Mann–Whitney test. (c) Median
lytic/latent ratio within the different phenotypes in EBV-seropositive HC, the
total group of MS patients (All MS), patients with CIS, patients with RR, SP and
PP MS, as well as patients during a clinical attack (Attack) and during remission
(Remission). For each subject the ratio was calculated by dividing the frequency
of CD8+ T cells producing IFN-γ in response to pooled lytic
peptides by the frequency of CD8+ T cells producing IFN-γ in
response to pooled latent peptides. (d) Lytic/latent ratio within the
CD8+, CD8+ EM, CD8+ EMRA,
CD8+ CM and CD8+ EM/EMRA T-cell populations
in the total group of MS patients (MS) compared with HC (medians with
interquartile ranges indicated by black horizontal lines), with bracketed
P values determined by the Mann–Whitney test. (e and
f) Percentages of T cells specific for individual EBV latent (LLD, CLG
and FLY) and lytic (GLC) peptides in the CD8+ population in 20
HLA-A*02+ EBV-seropositive healthy subjects (HC) and 20
HLA-A*02+ MS patients (MS) measured by binding to
peptide-HLA-A*02 Dextramers (e) and IFN-γ production (f)
(medians with interquartile ranges indicated by black horizontal lines), with
bracketed P-values determined by the Mann–Whitney test. (g
and h) Percentages of T cells specific for individual EBV latent and lytic
peptides in the CD8+ population in HLA-A*02+
patients during clinical attacks (Attack) or during remission (Remission) measured
by binding to peptide-HLA-A*02 Dextramers (g) and IFN-γ
production (h) (medians with interquartile ranges indicated by black
horizontal lines), with bracketed P-values determined by the
Mann–Whitney test.