Monocytes and CD4+ T cells contribution to the under-expression of NR4A2 and TNFAIP3 genes in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

We recently found a gene signature for multiple sclerosis (MS) that reverted to normal during pregnancy in MS patients and included NR4A2 and TNFAIP3, key molecules in anti-inflammatory processes. Here we focus on the expression levels of these two genes in monocytes and CD4+ T cells from healthy controls and treatment-naïve RRMS patients. Our findings show that monocytes play a key role in the dysregulated anti-inflammatory response, being the expression of both genes down-regulated in these cells in RRMS patients with respect to healthy individuals. CD4+ T cells seem to have only a marginal part, because we can observe only a slight down-regulation in NR4A2.

Keywords: CD4+ T cells; Monocytes; Multiple sclerosis; NR4A2; TNFAIP3.