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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Cell Count, Disease Progression, Double-Blind Method, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-4, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Methylprednisolone, Multiple Sclerosis, Predictive Value of Tests, Th1 Cells, Th2 Cells.
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Is active MRI lesion appearance in MS patients preceded by fluctuations in circulating T-helper 1 and 2 cells? Context: The role of T cell subpopulations and their ability to produce immunoregulatory cytokines has been extensively studied in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the exact mechanisms by which T cells and cytokines contribute to disease activity remain to be clarified. To analyze the longitudinal relation between markers of T cell activation and differentiation and disease activity in MS patients. During a period of 9 months, clinical disease activity was scored, monthly MRI scans were performed, and blood was taken for immune measurements in a group of 13 untreated clinically definite MS patients. Disease activity, as measured by the occurrence of active MRI lesions, is associated with a significant transient decrease in both T cells producing interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and T cells producing interleukin (IL)-4.
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Our results suggest that MRI-documented disease activity is associated with a transient decrease in circulating cytokine producing T cells, possibly due to the migration of activated T cells into the CNS. Final Decision: yes