Peripheral blood samples (Li-Heparin coated tubes) were collected from 63 healthy controls (HC) and 227 MS patients in collaboration with the University Biobank Limburg (UBiLim). CMV and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status and titers (CMV IgG and EBV EBNA IgG) were determined in serum samples via Vidas ELFA (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France) and Architect immunoassay (Abbott, Illinois, USA). Clinical data are presented in Table 1 ; there were no significant differences between CMV positive or negative donors, neither in MS patients nor in healthy controls.
Study subjects for CD4+CD28null T cell analysis.
| MS patients | Healthy controls | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMV+ | CMV− | CMV+ | CMV− | |
| Number | 100 | 127 | 24 | 39 |
| Age (y) | 47 ± 13 | 44 ± 14 | 32 ± 9 | 32 ± 10 |
| Male/Female (ratio) | 26/74 (0.35) | 35/92 (0.38) | 7/17 (0.41) | 14/25 (0.56) |
| EBV serostatus (−/border/+) | 0/2/64 | 2/0/87 | NA | |
| Disease duration range | 1 mo–40 y | 0 mo–37 y | NA | |
| EDSS range | 0–7 | 0–7.5 | NA | |
| Disease type | NA | |||
| CIS | 5 | 6 | ||
| RR-MS | 63 | 78 | ||
| CP-MS | 32 | 43 | ||
| Treatment# | NA | |||
| No treatment | 46 | 56 | ||
| IFNβ | 25 | 47 | ||
| Glatiramer acetate | 15 | 10 | ||
| Natalizumab | 9 | 6 | ||
| Alemtuzumab | 2 | 4 | ||
| Teriflunomide | / | 3 | ||
| Dimethyl fumarate | 2 | / | ||
| Methotrexate | 1 | 1 | ||
#Within 3 months before blood collection.
MS, multiple sclerosis; EDSS, expanded disability status scale; CIS, clinically isolated syndrome; RR, relapsing remitting; CP, chronic progressive; IFNβ, interferon beta; CMV, cytomegalovirus; NA, not applicable.