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Review
. 2021 May 24;9(6):1132.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9061132.

MAIT Cells and Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis and Other Autoimmune Diseases

Rosella Mechelli  1   2 , Silvia Romano  3 , Carmela Romano  3 , Emanuele Morena  3 , Maria Chiara Buscarinu  3 , Rachele Bigi  3 , Gianmarco Bellucci  3 , Roberta Reniè  3 , Giulia Pellicciari  3 , Marco Salvetti  3   4 , Giovanni Ristori  3   5
Affiliations
Review

MAIT Cells and Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis and Other Autoimmune Diseases

Rosella Mechelli et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

The functions of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells in homeostatic conditions include the interaction with the microbiota and its products, the protection of body barriers, and the mounting of a tissue-repair response to injuries or infections. Dysfunction of MAIT cells and dysbiosis occur in common chronic diseases of inflammatory, metabolic, and tumor nature. This review is aimed at analyzing the changes of MAIT cells, as well as of the microbiota, in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders. Common features of dysbiosis in these conditions are the reduced richness of microbial species and the unbalance between pro-inflammatory and immune regulatory components of the gut microbiota. The literature concerning MAIT cells in these disorders is rather complex, and sometimes not consistent. In multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions, several studies have been done, or are in progress, to find correlations between intestinal permeability, dysbiosis, MAIT cell responses, and clinical biomarkers in treated and treatment-naïve patients. The final aims are to explain what activates MAIT cells in diseases not primarily infective, which interactions with the microbiota are potentially pathogenic, and their dynamics related to disease course and disease-modifying treatments.

Keywords: autoimmune disease; inflammatory arthritis; inflammatory bowel diseases; microbiota; mucosal-associated invariant T cells; multiple sclerosis; systemic lupus erythematosus; type 1 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Gut dysbiosis in multiple sclerosis. Abbreviations: SCFA=short chain fatty acid; MCFA=medium chain fatty acid; Treg= T regulatory cell; APC=antigen presenting cell; Th=T helper cell; IL-17=interleukin 17; IFN-γ= interferon gamma. Upward or downward arrows denote respectively increase or decrease of figure components.
Figure 2
Figure 2
MAIT cell dynamics in multiple sclerosis. Abbreviations: MAIT = mucosal-associated invariant T cells; RRMS = relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; PPMS=primary progressive multiple sclerosis; DMT = disease-modifying therapies; IL18 R = interleukin 18 receptor; BBB = blood-brain barrier.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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