Circulating Microparticles Reflect Treatment Effects and Clinical Status in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate whether circulating microparticles (MPs) derived from three cell subtypes (platelets, total leukocytes or monocytes) obtained from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were modulated depending on the clinical status and to investigate the effect of treatments on MP levels. Patients & methods: The MP counts were assessed with flow cytometry. Results: The platelet-derived MP level was higher in untreated MS patients than controls. Relapsing–remitting patients showed the highest levels in the three subtypes of MP while secondary progressive patients presented similar levels to those of healthy controls. Treatments had significant effects increasing the three subtypes of MP counts. Conclusion: We suggest that MPs play a role in MS pathogenesis, reflecting disease status with an increment of their shedding during inflammatory periods and turning to baseline during chronic progressive degeneration.

Keywords::

• extracellular vesicles
• extracellular vesicles
• microparticles
• multiple sclerosis
• secondary progressive
• treatment

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank I Crespo from IDIBAPS (Barcelona) for many helpful discussions on gating microparticles and advice on flow cytometry. The authors also thank the editors of Ideas Need Communicating Language Services, supported by BIOEF, for improving the use of English in the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported partially by two grants from the Basque Government: SAIOTEK program (SAIO11-PC11BN3) and Health Department (GV-2011111028). H Irizar and M Muñoz-Culla are PhD students granted by the Education Department of the Basque Government. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript. Ideas Need Communicating Language Services, supported by BIOEF, was utilized to improve the use of English in the manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate insti-tutional review board approval or have followed the princi-ples outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investi-gations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported partially by two grants from the Basque Government: SAIOTEK program (SAIO11-PC11BN3) and Health Department (GV-2011111028). H Irizar and M Muñoz-Culla are PhD students granted by the Education Department of the Basque Government. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.