Human T-cell responses to botulinum neurotoxin. Responses in vitro of lymphocytes from patients with cervical dystonia and/or other movement disorders treated with BoNT/A or BoNT/B

Abstract 

We have previously reported that botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A)-specific T-cell responses occur in a majority of patients treated with botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT). In this study, we first determined if T-cell responses against BoNT/A and tetanus toxin (TeNT) differ between cervical dystonia (CD) patients and other movement disorder cases. Secondly, we have examined in CD cases the treatment parameters that may have an effect on the T-cell responses against BoNT/A. We found that T-cell responses to BoNT/A were significantly higher in patients with CD than in those with other movement disorders. An increase in TeNT T-cell response in CD was observed when compared to un-treated controls. CD patients who were injected with BoNT/B mounted higher responses to BoNT/A than patients treated with BoNT/A only. Frequent injections (more than 2.1/year) were associated with a significantly higher T-cell response to BoNT/A in CD. T cell responses to BoNT/A did not differ between CD patients who had clinically responsive and non-responsive status at the time of enrollment.

Abbreviations: Ab, antibody, BoNT/A, botulinum neurotoxin type A, BoNT/B, botulinum neurotoxin type B, CD, cervical dystonia, ECD, exclusive CD (i.e., patient diagnosed with CD only), FET, Fisher's exact test, MPA, mouse protection assay, non-CD, other movement disorders, NECD, non-ECD (i.e., patient diagnosed with CD plus other movement disorders), PBL, peripheral blood lymphocytes, SI, stimulation index (cpm of ³H-thymidine incorporated by antigen-stimulated T cells/cpm incorporated by unstimulated cells), TeNT, tetanus toxin or tetanus neurotoxin, T test, Student's T test

Keywords: Botulinum neurotoxin types A and B, Cervical dystonia, Movement disorders, T cells, Tetanus toxin