Depletion of myelin-basic-protein autoreactive T cells by T-cell vaccination

pilot trial in multiple sclerosis

Medaer, Robert
Stinissen, Piet
Truyen, Luc
Raus, Jef
Zhang, Jingwu

Multiple Sclerosis Research and Immunology Unit, Dr L Willems Instituut (R Medaer MD; P Stinissen PhD; Prof J Raus MD; Prof J Zhang MD), and Limburgs Universitair Centrum (J Zhang; J Raus), B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; and Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Academic Hospital, Free University, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and MS Rehabilitation Unit, Clinic `De Mick', Brasschaat, Belgium (L Truyen MD)
Correspondence to: Prof Jingwu Zhang

The Lancet 346(8978):p 807-808, September 23, 1995.

In a pilot trial, eight patients with multiple sclerosis were matched to control patients and received T-cell vaccination with irradiated T cells reactive to myelin basic protein (MBP) to deplete circulating MBP-reactive T cells. In the 2 years before and after vaccination, exacerbations decreased in five vaccinated patients (numbers 1, 2, 6-8) with relapsing-remitting disease from sixteen to three, respectively, and from twelve to ten in their matched controls. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a mean 8.0 percent increase in brain lesion size in the vaccinated patients compared with a 39.5 percent increase in the controls. Lesions and/or relapses worsened in three cases after vaccination in association with reappearance of circulating MBP-reactive T cells.

Lancet 1995; 346

807-08