The frequencies of peripheral blood CD5 + CD19 + B cells, CD3 - CD16 + CD56 + NK, and CD3 + CD56 + NKT cells and serum interleukin-10 in patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica syndrome disease (NMOSD) are inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. The pathogenesis and treatments for these two conditions are very different. Natural killer (NK) and natural killer T (NKT) cells are immune cells with an important role in shaping the immune response. B cells are involved in antigen presentation as well as antibody and cytokine production. There is conflicting evidence of the roles of NK, NKT, and B cells in the two conditions. We aimed to compare the frequency of CD3 CD16 CD56 NK, CD3 CD56 NKT, and CD5 CD19 B cells in the peripheral blood and serum Interleukin-10 (IL-10) in patients with MS and NMOSD. CD19 CD5 B, CD3 CD16 CD56 NK, and CD3 CD56 NKT cells were quantitated by flow cytometry in 15 individuals with Interferon-Beta (IFN-β) treated relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 15 untreated RRMS, and 15 NMOSD patients as well as 30 healthy controls (HC). Serum IL-10 was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The percentage of CD3 CD56 CD16 NK cells in the peripheral blood of IFN-treated MS (1.81 ± 0.87) was significantly lower than for untreated RRMS (4.74 ± 1.80), NMOSD (4.64 ± 1.26) and HC (5.83 ± 2.19) (p