Using multicolor flow cytometry, the main cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Tcyt) subsets were identified, based on the expression of CD45RA and CD62L in paired samples of peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid from the patients during the relapse (n = 32) and remission (n = 20) of multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as in the peripheral blood samples of healthy volunteers (n = 51). During the relapse of MS, we have observed a decreased relative number of CD3+CD4+ cells and CD4/CD8 ratio in cerebrospinal liquor. In peripheral blood taken from the relapsed MS patients, we have found significant correlations between EDSS score and absolute counts (r = -0,430, p = 0.014), and with relative numbers of CD45RA+CD62L+Tcyt (r = -0,502, p = 0.003). In remission state of MS, the relative numbers of blood CD45RA-CD62L-Tcyt cells exhibited a significant decrease (p = 0.005) to 8.70% (6.51-11.63) against control group with 12.18% (10.38-15.24), although it did not significantly differ (p = 0.114) from the relapsed patients with 11.31% (8.28-13.90). Studies of liquor samples have shown that, during MS relapse, the percentage of CD45RA-CD62L-Tcyt was increased (p = 0.027) up to 8.16% (6.40-11.40), while in remission state these cells comprised only 6.49% (4.51-8.39) from the total CD3+ cell number. During relapse of MS, some positive correlations were revealed between the relative number of nave, CM, EM and TEMRA Tcyt from liquor, and the percentages, as well as contents of similar T cell subsets in peripheral blood samples. The inverse relationship between the level of EM Tcyt from liquor and peripheral blood naive cells showed the close relationship between these two Tcyt subsets and clinical manifestations of MS (i.e., scores of EDSS scale). During the remission period, most of these correlations are disrupted. Further investigations of cytotoxic T cells dynamics in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid will help to approach the understanding of MS pathogenesis by revealing novel markers for the clinical prognosis in this disorder.

Retino-cochleo-cerebral angiopathy or Susac syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease that selectively affects the vessels of the retina, the inner ear and the central nervous system. Differentiation of Susac syndrome and multiple sclerosis presents difficulties due to the similarity of MRI semiotics of these two diseases. This article presents two clinical cases of patients with Susac syndrome who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the onset of the disease. Based on the analysis of our own clinical observations and literature data, the issues of differential diagnosis of Susac syndrome and multiple sclerosis are highlighted. For the first time a variant of the MRI picture transformation in Susac syndrome is presented.

To search for statistically signifi cant T-cell populations in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The analysis of the absolute content of various subpopulations of T-lymphocytes (T-helpers (Th) and cytotoxic T-cells (Tcyt)) in the peripheral blood of 61 healthy volunteers and 47 patients with MS was carried out using multi-color fl ow cytometry. Based on the expression of diff erentiation markers (CD45RA, CD62L, CD27 and CD28) and eff ector molecules (CD56 and CD57), Th and Tcyt were divided into main populations at diff erent stages of maturation. The following statistically signifi cant populations of T-cells were identifi ed: CD56 – CD57 + T-lymphocytes, Em Th, EM3 Tcyt, CD56 + CD57 – T-lymphocytes, EM2 Tcyt. The signifi cance of these populations was also confi rmed in the calculation of Chi-square statistics. Based on the information received, three groups of T-cell populations were selected. A model for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis based on the algorithm of K nearest neighbors was built on each group of populations. The accuracy of prediction of the constructed models varies in the range of 0.69–0.90.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Recent reports have shown CD3 + CD8 + and their different subsets take part in neuroinflammation. During the current study frequency, phenotype as well as CD56 and CD57 expression of peripheral blood CD3 + CD8 + cells derived from healthy volunteers (n = 52), MS subjects during relapse (n = 31) or remission (n = 20) were characterized using ten-color flow cytometry. CD3 + CD8 + were divided into naive, central (CM) and effector memory (EM), as well as effector cells (TEMRA) based on the expression of CD45RA, CD62L, CD27 and CD28. No differences were observed during the comparison of N, CM and TEMRA CD3 + CD8 + subsets relative and absolute number between the groups, but the number of CM cells was decreased in MS groups The relative and absolute number of “naive” CD3 + CD8 + cells were inversely related (r = –0,512, р = 0,003 and r = –0,430, р = 0,014, respectively) to the degree of disability of examined patients. The percentages of CD57 + cells were increased only within naive and CM subsets in both MS groups compared with healthy volunteers. While the relative numbers of CD56 + cells were significantly evaluated in all investigated cytotoxic T cell subsets in MS group with the exception of TEMRA cells from patients during remission in comparison with control group. Our data demonstrate that CD56 level on CD3 + CD8 + subsets may represent a biomarker of neuroinflammation in MS patients.

The authors present the results of an 8-year retrospective-prospective follow-up of a patient with Balo concentric sclerosis. The disease meets the diagnostic criteria of remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis.

The corpus callosum (CC) volume loss in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a long been known phenomenon, considered by many authors as an indicator of disease severity. Meanwhile the relationship between CC atrophy and disease severity in MS patients not always found in studies, which may be due to the features of somatotopical CC structure. The aim of our study was to determine the relationship of atrophy in different parts of CC with the severity of clinical manifestations in MS patients to clarify the pathogenesis of these disorders and find opportunities for the development of tools for control and correction. The article presents results of morphometric analysis of 117 patients with different types of MS and 25 healthy volunteers. The original MRI image postprocessing algorithm is used. The initial parameters used for the statistical analysis were: age, duration of disease, the type of the disease, numerical score of FS and EDSS scales, the results of morphometry. Correlation analysis showed that the volume of the CC isthmus and corpus inversely correlated with disease duration and severity of a pyramidal, cerebellar, sensory, pelvic disorders and degree of disability. Analysis of variance in groups of patients with different types and severity of MS showed that atrophy of the CC isthmus and corpus is associated not only with the degree of disability, but also with the disease type. The study results confirm the important role of the atrophy of certain brain regions in the development of clinical picture and types of MS. It is shown that changes in the volume of the CC isthmus and corpus are independent markers of the development stage and severity of the disease, and their measurement can be an instrumental tool for objective assessment of the effectiveness of personalized neurorehabilitation techniques in patients with demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system.