Abstract
In pregnant women affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) we observed increased percentages of CD4 +CD25 +Foxp3 + T regulatory cells at the 1st and the 2nd trimester of gestation that was associated with a decreased T-bet expression in CD4 + T cells. In women showing clinical relapse and/or new lesions at MRI after delivery we found, a higher expression of T-bet, pSTAT1 and pSTAT3 in CD4 +, CD8 + T cells and CD14 + cells, associated with an increase of IFNγ and IL17 production by PBMC at the 3rd trimester of gestation and after delivery. Our data suggest that the expansion of circulating CD4 +CD25 +Foxp3 + regulatory T cells and the lower expression of T-bet in CD4 + T cells may account for the decreased MS activity during pregnancy. The expression of T-bet, pSTAT1 and pSTAT3 in peripheral blood CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and monocytes could be useful to identify MS patients who will develop a relapse after delivery.
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