A biased Vα24+ T-cell repertoire leads to circulating NKT-cell defects in a multiple sclerosis patient at the onset of his disease

Abstract As natural killer T (NKT) cells have been implicated in the regulation of multiple sclerosis (MS), we investigated expression of the Vα24JαQ canonical rearrangement in MS patients during relapses. We observed major changes in the entire blood Vα24 + T-cell repertoire. Seven of the eight patients showed a marked decrease in Vα24 + transcript number and a decrease in the diversity of the Vα24 + T-cell repertoire, with the exception of a few expanded clones. These perturbations, exacerbated in patient MS (A), led to circulating NKT cell defects.